


Mating Systems, Reproductive Success, and Sexual Selection in Secretive Species: A Case Study of the Wild Ahch-To Omega

by NewerConstellations



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ahch-To, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Academia, Blow Jobs, Come Eating, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Doggy Style, Dr. Ben Solo Biologist, Eventual Smut, F/M, Feeding Kink, Feral Behavior, He wanted a slow burn, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, Inappropriate Boner, Jealousy, Knotting, Loss of Virginity, Masturbation, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating Rituals, Mutual Masturbation, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Rey, Oral Sex, POV Ben Solo, Playful Sex, Pool Sex, Quarantine, Research, Scent Marking, Science, Sharing Clothes, like actual blowing, of background characters, shared climax, she wasn't having it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2019-11-18 02:13:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 39,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18111170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewerConstellations/pseuds/NewerConstellations
Summary: ABSTRACTFor generations, Omegas have adapted to civilized environments, permanently impacting the expression of their DNA and pheromones.  When a group of lost fisherman discovered an isolated population of feral Omegas on the remote island of Ahch-To, it offered a unique and precious opportunity to document their behavior in the wild.  Research biologist Dr. Benjamin Solo spent a year living amongst the herd of Ahch-To Omegas and recorded his experiences, particularly his interactions with the Omega subject known as “Rey.”  These are his findings.Or, Mr. Order meets Miss Chaos.  :D





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Audrey4ever](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Audrey4ever/gifts).



> For my fanfic soul-sissy and enabler who prompted me on this idea.
> 
> Enjoy your sexy researcher! :D
> 
> +++
> 
> I'd like to credit three other excellent Reylo fics that featured a feral Rey that helped inspire me to try my own story:  
> Kylosbrickhousebody's "Desperate Times" A/B/O is both angsty and sweet.  
> MalevolentReverie's darkfic "Pretty Handsome Awkward" with Alpha Rey and Omega Ben.  
> Avdal's "Horizon to Horizon" with a unique fantasy setting and a mermaid feral Rey, plus humor.

From his position in the backseat of the helicopter, Dr. Benjamin Solo could clearly see this was all a terrible mistake.

 

His index finger reset his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he stared out the window.  He crossed his ankles and opened his heavy thighs wider on the cramped seat in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure on his knees.  After a lifetime of being at least thirty percent too large for any space he occupied, Dr. Solo was used to fitting into uncomfortable positions.

 

He looked down upon the endless waves, white-capped and angry, churning in the grey-green sea below.  His stomach churned, too. _It was just nerves,_ he told himself, _it would all be fine._

 

The flight was much longer than he had anticipated and that wasn’t helping matters.  Time and again, the strong winds shoved against the small helicopter and the the pilot worked to shove back.  The helicopter set a zig-zagged path away from the mainland and out across the open North Atlantic Ocean to his new temporary home.

 

A particularly emphatic gust made Dr. Solo’s stomach drop, and he swallowed and wiped the sweat beading on his brow.  The turbulence and his growing apprehension combined to make him very much regret the egg and bagel sandwich he ate for breakfast.

 

“Only a few more nautical miles, Dr. Solo!” the pilot called out.  Dr. Solo nodded affirmation at the window pane and sealed his lips together.  Of course he _knew_ Ahch-To was isolated, that was an essential fact upon which his mission was predicated, but _feeling_ the isolation so clearly was another matter entirely.  Dr. Solo had always been more comfortable in the realm of theory rather than feeling.

 

They flew onward until he saw a twin-pinnacled stoney crag jutting up from the water.  He recognized the main island of Ahch-To and knew from his research that it’s twin, an even less accessible island, lay behind it.  Part of an archipelago, only the two larger islands were compatible with human life.  They were covered in patches of green grass and mosses, in some areas even trees, and had fresh water sources percolating underground.  The islands supported populations of fauna including various bird species, small rodents, and visiting sea lions and seals, although those were not the creatures Dr. Solo was here to study.

 

He looked down at the small island and could see why it was overlooked.  It was clearly too remote and hazardous to be of any commercial or residential use, with no natural resources worth the expense of extracting them.  Ahch-To had fallen through the cracks of time and been largely ignored until the shipping lanes recently changed and a party of lost fisherman made a surprising discovery.  

 

Now it was thought the land may hold value of a completely different nature.  That was what Dr. Solo was here to find.

 

“Coming in for a landing, hold on!  Gonna be a rough one!” the pilot yelled in a voice entirely too chipper for the circumstances.

 

Dr. Solo braced himself, large arms spanning the entire backseat.  He gripped the metal safety bars with white knuckles and closed his eyes.

 

_Only one year._

 

+++

 

Hundreds of years ago, the main island of Ahch-To had supported a thriving culture of early humans.  

 

They had built a small village made of rocks and found materials.  Tucked next to a rocky overhang that afforded extra protection from the temperamental weather and just below the lightning strike zone of the peak, it had stood the test of time remarkably well.  A full archaeological survey was planned to document and record the structures of the village.  Until that time, Dr. Solo was on strict orders not to touch the dwellings.  He could, however, set up camp on the adjacent flat area and take advantage of the protection from the winds.

 

The pilot helped Dr. Solo unload and carry his crates of supplies: a heavy canvas tent, two duffle bags of personal belongings, and his instruments and equipment.  He had two weeks’ worth of rations and would receive air-dropped deliveries of food bi-weekly.  Dr. Solo had an emergency kit and a satellite phone if he needed to call for help, plus an extra battery.  Beyond the food drops, he would have no other contact with the outside world for the year, by design.

 

“All set?” the pilot asked him.  Dr. Solo struggled to remember the man’s name, then noticed the tag on his flight suit.  

 

“Yes, Mr. Dameron, thank you.”

 

“You can call me Poe!”  Poe didn’t seem to speak, he only exclaimed.

 

“Thank you, Poe.”

 

“Okay, see you in two weeks, then!”  He flashed a bright smile and turned to leave.

 

Dr. Solo nodded.  A sudden and unexpected swell of emotion rose in his chest.  One year in the field, and he'd be completely alone.  This man was the last human contact he would have for awhile.  Although Dr. Solo was primarily a man of solitude and preferred it that way, the realization that he would have no other _option_ seized him tight in the chest.

 

Poe stopped and faced him.  “Oh, you have the flare gun?”

 

Dr. Solo checked his emergency kit and gave him a thumbs up.

 

“Don’t use it unless you hear the 'copter.  If you fire too soon, I won’t be able to see it.  Okay?!”

 

“Yes.  Okay.”

 

“Good luck!”  

 

Dr. Solo waved and attempted to smile.  He watched Poe start up the engine and fly back to civilization until he was just a tiny dot on the horizon, like the period at the end of a sentence.

 

He stood a few moments more.  The island was peaceful.  The wind whistled and blew at his shaggy hair.  The thought popped into his head that he probably should have gotten a cut before he left.  Ah, well, too late now.

 

Dr. Solo walked back through the ancient village.  He inspected the stone huts with his hands stuffed in his short’s pockets to remove the temptation of touching.  The small structures were shaped like beehives and made from brick-sized rectangular stones that seemed to fit together like puzzle pieces.  Sturdy and clever in design, they would have been easy to produce by relatively small hands.  Each featured a perfect rectangular doorway.  

 

The precision of the doorway caught his eye.  He leaned in closer.  The corners were perfect right angles, even after all this time.  Clearly the people who made them had an intelligence and degree of skill.  Discovering their fate was part of the reason he was here.

 

He set about unloading his bag and began pitching the large survey tent.  Dr. Solo hadn’t been in the field in years, but the tent set-up came back to him relatively quickly.  The physical work of lifting and unpacking was a happy respite from the rigors of his usual analytical internal dialogue.  His mind quieted as he settled into the manual labor with a sense of relief and ease.

 

The sun beat down on him.  It was late spring and still relatively cool, but the heat of the exertion made him sweat.  He stripped off his jacket and then his vest and shirt, until he stood bare chested.  Why not?  There was no one here to see.

 

Dr. Solo rifled for his sunscreen in his med kit.  Years of academia had not offered him an opportunity to build a base-layer.  He worked out daily for stress relief and that probably showed in his body, but his skin was as pale as a fishbelly and a sunburn was not a good idea.  He spread double-digit SPF on his face and torso, then twisted to reach around for his back and shoulders.  If nothing else this year, he could perhaps get a tan for the first time in his life.  He capped the tube and went back to work.

 

He un-rolled the large twenty-by-twelve foot canvas tent.  It was a thick, heavy-duty beige canvas that was both durable and weatherproof and was supported by a series of two-inch diameter wooden poles.  He unfolded the camp shovel to begin digging the postholes.  As Dr. Solo bent over to scrape into the rocky soil, he heard a cascade of small pebbles fall behind him.  He paused.  When he heard no other sound, he began digging again.

 

Another flurry of falling rocks stopped him.  He looked over his shoulder this time.  The rocky overhang above him seemed secure.  No big boulders to roll down and crush him in his sleep, as far as he could tell.  Perhaps it was a small rodent or a bird causing the sound.  When he detected no other movement, he stood and walked to another corner and resumed his digging.

 

He was getting lost in the work again when he heard a large rock plop down on the ground some feet behind him.  Dr. Solo froze.  That didn’t sound like an accident.  The fine hairs on the back of his neck rose.  It had been verified that the island was empty besides him and the elusive research subjects, yet he felt like he was being watched.

 

Dr. Solo's hands kept working, but his mental focus remained on his ears as he listened for any other movements behind him.

 

He reviewed his research plan and timetable from memory.  His test subjects were shy and skittish by nature, so he didn’t anticipate making contact for quite some time.  He would set up camp and monitor the herd from afar with his telescope and binoculars.  Then, after meticulously plotting out routines and behavior patterns, he would slowly introduce his presence over a course of weeks, perhaps leaving items of clothing on the perimeter of their range so they could scent him first.  If that went well, in a few months time he may let himself be seen.  In cases like this, space and time were of the utmost importance.  He wouldn’t want to jeopardize the success of his research by making a hasty or wrong first move.

 

His thoughts were interrupted by a large thud landing on the ground just behind him.  A round rock rolled up next to his foot like a baseball.  It couldn’t have been more intentional than if it hit him on the head.

 

His heartbeat pounded and he flew to his feet and whipped around.  Was that a small flash of movement on the rocks above him?  He couldn’t tell.  He ducked and bobbed his head but spied nothing else.  He swallowed the urge to call out “Hello?”  The wind whipped his hair in front of his face and a shiver rode up his spine.

 

Ben Solo was suddenly aware of himself, standing exposed in only his shorts and boots, bare-chested in the middle of nowhere.   

 

When no other rocks fell, he continued pitching his tent.

 

Once it was finally set up, he sat on his cot and ate a ration bar while pulling out his first Moleskin journal.  A sense of excitement coursed through him from the thrill of novelty and of the beginning of a new adventure.

  
He wrote in a fine swirl of cursive: 

 

_The Ahch-To wild Omega population: Day one, arrival._


	2. Day 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to shoot for shorter but faster chapters so I can update more often. 
> 
> Don't worry, we're gonna see this little trickster soon. ;D
> 
> Thanks for reading and for your comments!

Dr. Solo had not slept well in the tent.

 

The cot was a tad too small and a bit too hard.  Strange nocturnal screeches and howls woke him several times, but the all-encompassing silence afterwards was equally unnerving.  The distinct absence of any man-made sound would take some getting used to, living in complete isolation, as he was.

 

It was a new and very _quiet_ sort of quiet.

 

Despite his rough night, Dr. Solo awoke at sunrise with a sense of anticipatory glee.  He raised his arms and stretched his body long in the sleeping bag until his feet hung off the edge, his face also stretching into a grin.  It was his first full day on the island and there was so much delicious _scheduling_ to be done.  Creating a system from chaos was one of his favorite things.  

 

Dr. Solo was a creature of habit and hated surprises.  He was a planner.  His life was comprised of carefully-curated days that ended each night with an opportunity for analysis.  The myriad phenomena of his day were plotted in his journal like data points to help him identify patterns and trends.  The scientific method was the guiding principle of his work, so why not apply it to the rest of his life, too?

 

Journaling revealed to him that calling his parents caused more distress than joy.  That carbs made his body feel bad, and vegetables, good.  That exercise and proper sleep reduced his stress levels significantly.  That dating was the least effective use of his time comparing the energy inputted to the outcome derived.

 

So as he sat up in his tent and reached for his glasses and journal, he had a smile on his face.   _A fresh start._ It was almost better than coffee.  He wrote out in his practiced and careful script:

 

Ahch-To Daily Routine

6:30 am       wake and hygiene

7 am            coffee and breakfast ration, record overnight notes (dreams, events)

7:30 am       clean up camp

8 am            review plan for the day, yesterday’s summary and ongoing questions

8:30 am       morning observation period begins

  


Dr. Solo looked up while tapping the end of his pen on his lips.  He was already _not_ on schedule because he was scheduling before breakfast.  The act of planning itself had made him stray from the plan.  His sense of order was disturbed.

 

It was a logical paradox.  Finally deciding the first day couldn’t possibly count, he wrote in the word “Preliminary” before the title.  He instantly felt better.

  


(Preliminary)  Ahch-To Daily Routine (cont.)

11 am*         observation period ends.  Morning questions for further examination

11:30 am      lunch ration

12 noon        rest

1 pm             afternoon observation begins

4:00* pm      observation period ends.  Afternoon questions for further examination

4:30 pm        exercise

5:30 pm        bath and hygiene

6 pm             dinner and kitchen clean-up

7 pm             night observation begins

8 pm*           observation period ends.  Daily summary & analysis

9 pm             personal reading and journaling

10 pm           lights out

  


The asterisks indicated adaptability.  If the test subjects were doing something fascinating, he wouldn’t stop an observation just because his watch dial turned.  He wasn’t _that_ beholden to the schedule.  He could be flexible, of course he could.  

 

With the (preliminary) daily schedule set, Dr. Solo quickly got back on track with his first day.

 

He used a propane camp stove to heat water for coffee and his packed-in fresh water for a quick shave and wash-up.  Shaving was a necessity.  The Omegas were inherently skittish around men.  His size alone would be intimidating, so a beard may be a bridge too far.  Plus, it always grew in patchy.  So shaving each morning it was.

 

He sipped his French-press coffee while getting dressed in light khaki hiking pants and an olive green t-shirt.  He topped it with his favorite field jacket with many convenient pockets and filled them with his pen, another pen, his compass, a pocket knife and snack bar.  Looping his binoculars around his neck, he filled his canteen with water.  He set out with his journal in hand, deciding to eat his breakfast bar on the way to his first viewing spot.  He was too excited to wait.

 

Phase one of his project was monitoring from afar to establish routines and baseline behavior.  But before he could observe them, he had to find them.

 

The Geographic Information System (GIS) department of his university had remotely surveyed the herd using infrared and aerial satellite imaging.  It was not a precise method of tracking, as the terrain was rocky and the Omegas were small and could blend in easily.  But it gave him enough data to posit that the herd was nesting on the smaller, less accessible island.

 

This time of year, the east side seemed the most likely nesting site based on ocean currents and access to fish.  He checked his compass and set out, whistling a tune.

 

At precisely 8:14 am, ahead of schedule, he found a flat rock partially obscured by a small shrub in a good viewing location of the smaller island’s coastline.  He pulled out his binoculars and opened his journal.  Then Dr. Solo waited.

 

And waited.

 

And waited.

 

By 10:04 am, he had seen 27 porgs and four sea lions, but not a single Omega. Were they hiding?  Was his premise incorrect?

 

He abandoned his position and went to the other side of the island, a brisk twenty-minute hike over rocky terrain.  He found a survey location and sat.  He watched the clouds blowing aimlessly over the island and listened to the dull roar of the the waves as they rose and fell on the beach below.  Still nothing.  

 

No sign at all of the roughly 25 individuals comprising the Omega herd.

 

By 11:45 am, Dr. Solo shuffled back to camp looking at his feet.  It was foolish to feel this discouraged on his first day.  These things took time.  He had to be patient.

 

He ate another ration bar and an apple for lunch.  He placed the core on the stool by his cot and lay down to rest, an arm folded behind his head as he ruminated on the riddle of the missing herd.  Perhaps the helicopter sounds had spooked them.  They may have gone into hiding for a few days until they felt it was safe to return.  That seemed likely, but his mind also thought of terrible and tragic scenarios, as it was wont to do in times of worry.

 

_Perhaps they all died of disease after the last GIS survey._

_Perhaps a sailor came back with his friends to capture them and sell them off on the black market._

_Perhaps the one that threw rocks yesterday warned the herd and they all fled to a different island._

 

He went over probability versus possibility in his mind to soothe himself and finally drifted off to sleep.

 

+++

 

Dr. Solo awoke groggy in the mid-afternoon and checked his watch.  Two-thirty, he was late.  He sprung off the cot and grabbed his equipment, tying the tent flap closed behind him.

 

He returned to the western side of the island.  He held the binoculars up to his glasses and watched.  No sign of life, except for the funny little native birds, _Porgus Lachrymosa,_ the common Porg.  They looked like the offspring of a depressed penguin and a bush baby.  He watched them tumble and play.

 

Dr. Solo doodled pictures of porgs in the margins of his journal and then finally called it quits for the day in defeat.  He wrote up his field notes.  His question for tomorrow was easy.

 

_Where are they?_

 

He returned to camp and changed into a loose pair of shorts and put his glasses on his cot.  He started his exercises. First stretches, windmilling his arms and shaking out his legs and then he started an interval timer on his watch.  He jogged in place and did burpees, lunges, planks and pushups, and finished with squats.  He worked up a good, healthy sweat in the sunshine, his blood pumping fast in his veins.  When his timer went off, he drank from his canteen and poured some cool water on his face to cool off.

 

Still panting, he lifted up a leg to rest on a nearby rock for his final hamstring stretch.  He bowed over his leg, hands on his thigh for balance, and closed his eyes.

 

He heard a solid thud on the soft ground behind him.  A rock.

 

His ears started to buzz.  Someone was back and trying to get his attention.  He decided to test the theory by ignoring it.

 

Sure enough, another rock fell a bit closer.  He switched legs but still didn’t turn around.  Maybe the someone would move even closer and he would get a peek.

 

The next rock landed so close to him that it rolled up and hit his boot.  Dr. Solo yelped in surprise and dropped his leg.  He turned to look up at the rocky ledge behind him, fuzzy without his glasses.  Underneath the wind, he thought he could hear the softest sound.  His ears had to strain to make it out, but he was sure it was there.

 

 _Laughing._ Someone hiding up there was laughing at him.

 

He walked into the tent to retrieve his glasses and binoculars.  Dr. Solo studied the rock face. The light wind gave his sweaty chest a chill and his nipples peaked as he shivered.  The awareness washed over him that he was completely out of his element here.  This was their habitat.  They held every advantage and wouldn’t be seen unless they wanted it.  Dr. Solo entertained the idea that he could be going about this in the wrong way.

 

No one appeared, and he lowered the binoculars finally.  It was time for him to clean himself up, but he hesitated.  A flush rose from his chest up to his cheeks.  He wasn’t used to being the one watched.  He gathered his clothes and bathing supplies and carried them behind the tent where he’d be hidden from view.  The hand-held shower tube attached directly to his water container.  As he stripped down, he heard another rock fall at a distance.  He washed himself quickly and toweled dry, then put on clean boxers and a t-shirt.

 

Dr. Solo walked back to the front of the tent and glanced up at the rock face.  He had the briefest hope that he’d see an Omega standing there, but he was alone.  He ducked inside and tied the flap closed behind him.

 

Too tired to cook, he ripped into another ration pack, this one containing dehydrated meat and vegetables.  He thought as he chewed.

 

At sunset, he stepped outside again.  The bright red sun fell over the open waves like a hot coal being dropped into water.  The breeze carried with it the smell of salt and seaweed, a fresh and earthy mix.  It really was beautiful here, even with the weight of the quiet and the isolation.  He sat outside until the stars came out.

 

Dr. Solo slipped into his sleeping bag and stared at the blank canvas of the tent walls until his eyes could barely remain open.  He was teetering just on the edge of consciousness, that half-wakeful state of inspiration where dreams and ideas can speak to you directly, when he saw it.  Or rather, he  _didn’t_ see it.

 

The apple core was gone.  Someone had taken it.

  



	3. Spring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please share your own observations in comments or Tumblr: @Newerconstellations. Thank you for reading!

The second night in the tent was moderately better. Dr. Solo was only jolted awake three times, twice by a mysterious hooting and once by the aggressive sound of two porgs either fighting or coupling, he couldn’t determine which.

 

His first order of business after dressing and eating his breakfast ration bar was to find a water source. The main island of Ahch-To was dotted with natural springs that rose to the surface from a deep underground aquifer under the island. The aquifer flowed through a connected system of caves, so there were multiple locations for fresh water.

 

Dr. Solo looked over the aerial photos of the islands and determined the location of the closest spring. He pocketed his compass and set his coordinates, gathering his containers.

 

It was 7:18 am and Dr. Solo had a bounce in his step. He swung the two empty water containers in his hands as he followed the narrow rocky path away from the camp. It was a fine morning. The sun was a buttery ball in the sky. Seabirds shrieked as they dove down to pluck fish from the waves. The air smelled rich with saltwater and Springtime. The teeming life around him infused him with a new energy.

 

The small footpath was tracking with the direction of the spring almost exactly. It made sense. The early residents wouldn't have selected a village site that was too inconvenient for fresh water.

 

Dr. Solo followed the trail as it curved around the rocky mountain side. He turned a bend and was about to start whistling a tune when the breath caught between his pursed lips. His eyes went wide in shock and he froze in place awkwardly, like an insect caught in amber.

 

Not thirty feet away was the spring. It was no larger than a swimming pool and surrounded on three sides by the rocky walls covered in a fine blanket of grey-green lichen. There was a small waterfall coursing down a rocky outcropping into its crystal waters, and standing on the rock underneath it was a girl.

 

No, not a girl. A feral Omega.

 

An absolutely _naked and dripping_ feral Omega.

 

She was facing the waterfall so her back was to him. That's probably why she didn't see or hear him yet. Dr. Solo didn't dare move. He watched the water running down the curves of her lithe body, soaking her long brunette hair that hung almost to her waist. His eyes studied every inch and curve, finally settling on her pert and full derriere.

 

Dr. Solo was a man of science. He prided himself on his calm demeanor and rationality. But even he could admit it was a very fine ass. Most likely, objectively, the best ass he had ever seen. He would have to take measurements to be sure, but it appeared to the naked eye to be a perfect ass. It captivated him with every sway and jiggle.

 

He at once felt awash in a full body heat and panic. This was not part of the plan. This was bad. She could turn around at any moment and see him watching, and it would certainly not be taken well. This was not how he wanted to make first contact, staring at her ass like a creep.

 

His eyes darted side to side to find a Dr. Solo-sized space to hide.  There was a big boulder back on the path that seemed ample enough to conceal him.  He could tuck behind it until she left.

 

Keeping his eyes firmly glued to her tight ass as if it might tattletell on him, he took slow steps backwards.  With every toe-heel closer to the rock he felt his hope rise. Another fifteen feet and he was safe.  He could make it.

 

She was tossing her head under the water and rubbing leaves into her hair, seemingly as a natural cleanser.  His heartbeat pulsed in his neck.

 

A few more feet now.  She was combing fingers through her hair, shifting her slender hips side-to-side.  He forgot to breathe, the pressure in his chest building and almost ready to explode.

 

Five feet away.  Almost to safety.  The feeling of eminent relief was intoxicating.

 

Then several things happened at once.  Even upon reflection, he still couldn't untangle the chain of events:

His foot landed on a loose rock, which shifted just enough to throw him off balance.

The Omega turned and looked over her left shoulder, revealing a single perky breast and a gorgeous face shrouded in surprise.

His considerable bulk fell backwards and he landed on his ass in the dirt.

Her hazel eyes flashed and she hissed at him, baring white teeth as she crouched.

He dropped the water canister with a loud clang that boomeranged off the rocky walls in a startling fashion.

The Omega shrieked and fled through a narrow gap in the rocks.

 

Dr. Solo called out desperately, "Wait!  I'm sorry!  Please don't go!"  

 

His voice echoed off the rocks as well, although he was the only one left to hear it.

  
+++

  
It took about fifteen minutes to recover.  Head hanging low, elbows perched on knees, he sat in the dirt.  He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

 

This was an unfortunate set of events.  It may set him back months, if not permanently.  He struggled to think of a scenario where this wasn't a fatal error.  It felt very bleak.

 

He still needed water.  Poe wasn't returning for twelve more days, survival was the first priority.  Dr. Solo got up and brushed himself off.  He walked up to the water's edge and dipped the canisters in to fill them.

 

As he did, he noticed a small tan-and-brown lump by the waterfall.  He glanced up the rock face, hoping to find a moon-shaped face with sparkling hazel eyes staring back at him.  Seeing nothing, he walked around the edge of the pool to inspect the bundle.

 

It was a dress or tunic.  Made from tan canvas (perhaps recycled from a sail?) and various small animal pelts.  Her clothing.  It was a precious discovery.

 

His mood brightened when he realized everything he had learned about the Omegas, or at least this one individual, that he could add to his field notes.   

 

She bathed.  
She used some type of leaves as a cleanser.  
She hissed and showed her teeth when frightened or upset.  
She fashioned clothing from found materials and animal pelts.  
That meant: she scavenged as well as hunted.

 

Not bad for one morning, actually.

 

If she was the same Omega who had made contact with him yesterday, he could add even more information:

 

Not afraid to make contact while hiding or in place of safety.  
Good at throwing rocks.  
Brave enough to rifle through his tent.  
Likes apples.  
Wanted to see him (curious?).  
Laughed at him.

 

Dr. Solo smiled at the last one.  He wasn't sure yet if the Omega from the first two days was the same one as today, but if she was it was a behavioral anomaly.  All documented Omega behavior in civilization indicated extreme skittishness and timidity.  This individual seemed almost . . . feisty.

 

He thought for a few moments, looking down at the dress.

 

His research strategy has already flown way off track. He wasn't able to locate the nest yesterday, and after today's events he was not hopeful that today would be better.  Perhaps he needs a new tact.

 

Dr. Solo scooped up the dress and draped it over the crook of his arm and hefted up the water canisters.  He followed the path back to his tent.

 

This time Dr. Solo whistled a tune.


	4. Apple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naughty Rey
> 
> Thanks for your comments and enthusiasm for this story! I love reading your thoughts. :D
> 
> Check out this gorgeous moodboard by the multi-talented and amazing @strawberrycupcake_huckleberrypie! She is the bestie of the resties. :D

 

He returned to the tent and the water was promptly forgotten.  Dr. Solo had something far more precious in his hands and his fingers were itching to explore it.  A wild Omega’s dress was a rare discovery.  Hooking long fingers under the straps, he held it aloft for study, turning it back and forth.  He sighed in happiness.

 

He flattened it down gently on his cot so he could reach for his journal to record his observations.

 

_Day Two:  Omega garment_

_Simple design (sheath? Or research other appropriate women’s fashion term?)_

_Sleeveless_

_Straps reinforced with twisted strips of leather (for added durability? style?)_

_Short and straight (ideal for climbing and running with no impediment)_

_Patches of fur criss-crossing a canvas base (for warmth? camouflage?)_

 

Tapping his pen to his lower lip, he looked up from his page.  Compared to his sleeping bag, the dress was tiny.  The Omega was just a slip of a thing.  He pinched the fur at the hem and rubbed.  It was silky soft between his fingertips.

 

If only he had seen her wearing it, he could better imagine her filling it.  His mind snapped back to her standing nude and dripping in the waterfall and that tantalizing ass.  The resulting heat on his cheeks was an involuntary admission that he was pretty pleased to have the opportunity to see her _outside_ of the dress.

 

No.   _No._   

That was an inappropriate thought.  Dr. Solo shook his head in reprimand.   _She was his research subject._  He couldn’t think such things.  He was a man of science and a Beta.  He was not a slave to instinct, but relied on logic and facts.  It was one of the reasons he was selected to lead this project.  As a Beta, he was immune to the cloud of pheromones emitted from the never-suppressed Omega herd.  It would be too much for an Alpha male, who'd be driven insane by the chemical cocktail and could rut himself to death.  A strange Omega could be attacked by the herd from territorial aggression.  So a Beta was the safe choice.

 

Feeling a sense of shame from his wandering mind, he pried his eyes away from the dress to dig into a crate for his instruments.  Arms full, he stepped outside to find suitable lighting for documentation.

 

Dr. Solo found the perfect spot under a gnarled tree.  He smoothed down a white sheet as if preparing for a picnic and brought out the dress.  He arranged it next to a specimen tag written on a notecard and a ruler for scale then began taking photos from various angles.

 

As he worked, he glanced up to scan the rocky ledge.  No sign of the owner of said dress. No rocks being hurled his way.  By now, the Omega would’ve returned to the spring and realized he took it.  She’d be curious, and he was counting on that curiosity.

 

He tapped his glasses up to the bridge of his nose and lifted the dress again for closer inspection in the bright daylight.  He noticed the fur seemed to be attached in a pattern. Maybe it had some cultural meaning? Or perhaps indicated herd status?  They clearly used tools and had skill. His scalp tingled at the thrill of all the mysteries yet to solve.

 

Dr. Solo bent over the dress, lost in thought.  A question simmered in his mind, his motives not purely academic.   _What did she smell like?_ Dr. Solo was happy to be a Beta, but a keen sense of smell would definitely be a benefit to a researcher in a case like this.  He raised the dress to his face and took a deep inhale as his eyes drifted closed.

 

At first he noticed the normal human smells of sweat and skin.  Then the fur itself, which was an earthy combination of soil and rain.  Underneath that was a base of something richer and more unique, a flavor he could barely identify but held no sway over him: the undiluted essence of Omega. No hint of manufactured blockers or perfumes as would be the case in a civilized environment, the Omega scent was so pure and strong that even a Beta like him could sense it.  It was both sweetness and spice, like a touch of nutmeg in a freshly-baked apple pie or a bacon-wrapped fig. The combination made his mouth water. He licked his lips and pressed the fabric to his face to get a better whiff.  

 

The fur brushed his lips and something strange happened.

 

At the touch, a haze of colored lights exploded behind his lids like fireworks and a soft warmth rolled down his spine like honey.  The rich and heady taste of raw, unfiltered Omega coated the roof of his mouth in an unfamiliar intensity to his Beta tongue. He smacked his lips in surprise and swallowed.  Unsettled, Dr. Solo drew back as his eyes fluttered open. He got his bearings and put the dress down to make notes in his journal. He eyed the garment nervously and wiped his sweating hands on his shorts.

 

It didn’t surprise him that the Omega pheromone expression was different in the isolated herd, but the sheer _power_ of it was a surprise.  He needed samples for testing.  Dr. Solo picked up a pair of small scissors and carefully snipped small pieces from discreet places.  He labelled them and enclosed them in specimen bags to be sent to the lab.

 

It was past lunchtime, and his stomach growled it’s displeasure with him.  He returned his tools to the tent and opened up his pantry crate. If his little Omega friend was brave enough to come claim what was hers, he wanted to be ready for her.  He pocketed a few types of ration bars and two apples, then made his way back outside to wait.

 

+++

 

The porgs in the field by his campsite were particularly rambunctious today.  Dr. Solo munched on his ration bar as he watched them hop and screech. Ah, to not have a care in the world.  What would it feel like to be so free? It was spring and mating season was just around the corner. He’d have to find his earplugs soon as they mostly mated at night.

 

The sun grew hot and the shade of the tree shifted.  He took off his charcoal grey t-shirt and tossed it in a ball next to the dress.  He shifted a few feet over to a patch of sun and leaned back on his elbows, crossing his ankles.  He dropped his head back to catch some rays. The sunlight felt warm and clean on his skin. He’d have to get up soon to grab the sunscreen.

 

Eyes closed, he heard a whisper of leaves behind him.  Then another rustling. Dr. Solo slowly sat up and looked over his shoulder.  A small bush a few yards away gently quivered, and his heartbeat quickened. Could it be her?  Hope flapped its wings in his chest.

 

As he watched, a head just barely rose out of the leaves to reveal a pair of freckled cheeks and huge hazel eyes.  He could only see the top half of her face, but he recognized the same eyes from the waterfall. Excitement buzzed beneath his skin.  

 

It was the Omega.  Right there in front of him.  Joy swelled in his chest and he had to remind himself to breathe properly.

 

He maintained her gaze and they openly regarded each other.  Dr. Solo forced himself to sit absolutely still and pressed his lips together to hide his teeth.  He didn’t want to scare her away with an unintentional sign of aggression, like his huge toothy grin.  He tried to remember his behavioral lessons and lifted the corner of his mouth into a small closed-mouth smile.  His palms turned upwards to show he was no threat.

 

“Hello,” he said softly, his voice deeper than intended.

 

She stared back at him and blinked.  Her eyes were clever and looked green as they picked up the color of the leaves surrounding her.  Her head rose slightly out of the bush to get a better look at him and he got a better look at her.  She was gorgeous, shockingly so, and he drank in her features for his notes.

 

He couldn’t tell what she was thinking.  Her expression revealed nothing, but she tilted her chin down to look at his shorts then up across his chest and back to his face.  He shifted under her gaze and sat up straighter. She rose up a little more and he saw the curve of her collarbone and her sun-kissed shoulders.  Still nude then.

 

He swallowed.  “I mean you no harm.”  He kept his palms turned up.  

 

She looked at his hands and her eyes opened wide.  He must look massive to her, she was unused to men.  He sat on his hands to hide them.

 

“I’m Dr. Solo.”

 

She blinked up at him.  He took out a hand to point at himself.  “Solo.”

 

The Omega cocked her head slightly to the side and blinked, but didn’t attempt to speak.  Maybe she didn’t understand. Was his name too hard to say?

 

“Ben,” he said.  “You can call me Ben.”

 

More blinking but perhaps the shadow of a smile.  

 

“Can you say Ben?”

 

Her eyes flickered down to his finger where it dug into the muscle of his chest.  Her lips slightly parted but she didn’t make a sound.

 

“Are you hungry?”  

 

He reached for an apple and held it up in his palm.  This was a language she could understand: food. Her eyes lit up and she followed the fruit as he raised it in his palm.

 

“Apple,” he said.

 

He got up and approached the edge of the sheet slowly.  The Omega crouched in the bush as if preparing to flee, eyes trained sharply on him.  He set it down next to her dress. When he moved back, she eased back to standing.

 

Dr. Solo smiled again and nodded, encouragingly.  “It’s okay. It’s for you. Apple.”

 

A small pink tongue peeked out to lick her top lip, then dove back in her mouth.  She seemed poised to jump, an energy coiled and ready to spring as her eyes darted between him and the apple.  She wanted it, he could tell. The historical implications of a nude woman being lured by an apple were not lost on him.

 

Dr. Solo again held his palms up to her to put her at ease.  “I’m going to back up so you can get your apple and your dress.”

 

She watched him move back off the sheet at a safe distance.  He smiled and nodded. “Okay? The apple is for you. My gift.”

 

She made no move from the bush.  Was she shy of her nudity? Or she still didn’t trust him?  He hated to lose sight of her, but after this morning and the waterfall, he felt it was fair to give her privacy.  Maybe it was an opportunity to gain some trust.

 

“I’m going to turn around now,” he said slowly.  What if she just ran away?  He felt a lance of fear at losing her so soon, but he could see no other way.  He had to prove to her he wasn’t a threat and it was a sign that he trusted her. He rotated to face his tent and hoped she didn’t lob one of her rocks at the back of his head.

 

The bushes rustled.  He heard soft foot falls behind him and then a few moments later the crisp crunch of an apple.  Certainly she must be dressed if she was eating. She hadn’t run away yet, that was a good sign.

 

Dr. Solo took a deep breath in and exhaled.  “Okay. Ready?” he announced and slowly rotated back to face her.

 

His gentle smile slipped from his face and his mouth made a perfect “O” shape when he came to a stop before her, completely unprepared for what he found.

 

The Omega was standing in the middle of the sheet, tanned legs spread in a wide stance as she bit into an apple lustily.  The other apple was clutched in her hand at her hip. She grinned mischievously at him as if she knew she was naughty for taking both.

 

That’s not what shocked him, however.  

 

She was wearing his shirt.

 


	5. Miiine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your comments and support of this story! 
> 
> I love hearing your theories. It's hard to put much past you folks, but I'll try. :D
> 
> Check out this wonderful moodboard by my bestie @Berry. She's so creative in all the ways, I just couldn't do without her!!!! <3

 

Sparkling hazel eyes met his.  The Omega chewed on a smile along with the bite of apple.  She raised her chin ever-so-slightly in his direction and subtly shifted her hip.  Her body language seemed like a dare: _What’re you gonna do about it, huh?_

 

His dark grey t-shirt hung loose around her willowy frame.  Dr. Solo’s gaze dropped to the hem where it grazed the middle of her thighs.  The direct comparison of her body to where his had just been made him shift on his feet.  His eyes darted back to her face, and his ears felt hot.  Dr. Solo was at a loss for words, which was not a common occurrence.

 

“Umm . . .”  

 

_Crunch._

 

The Omega stood proudly chewing the apple, a tiny piece falling from her lips as they opened a bit with every gnash of little teeth.  He gulped.

 

This was not typical Omega behavior.  This was not documented in the literature.  Omegas were shy, timid creatures that were easily intimidated and startled, everyone knew that.  Somehow this one had missed the memo.  There was no contingency plan for a little minx stealing his clothes.

 

“Umm . . .”  Dr. Solo smiled at her faintly. _Closed mouth, no teeth, no sign of aggression._ His mind fell back to the techniques he learned in school from the field guide _Standards and Practices for Initial Approach of Unfamiliar Omega Subjects._  

 

_Show you aren’t a threat.  Be calm and soothing._

 

Under her direct stare, he hunched his shoulders and tried to appear smaller and harmless.  He rotated his palms upwards, as if holding a tray, and tried to piece together a coherent thought.

 

What he lacked in eloquence, he made up for in sheer honesty.  “I believe there’s been a misunderstanding.”

 

She cocked her head and kept on chewing.  He was not sure how much she understood, but her eyes were alert.  Dr. Solo avoided a provocative single-finger point and used his whole hand to gesture to her dress where it lay unperturbed on the sheet.  He lifted both eyebrows at her. “Yours,” he said slowly and clearly, indicating the dress.

 

Then he moved his open palm to his shirt, inconveniently filled with a young and beautiful Omega.   _Who was also nude.  In his shirt, nude._  He cleared his throat and focused.  “Mine. My shirt.”  He pointed at his own bare chest.  “Mine.  For me.”

 

The Omega considered him.  She took another bite, looking at his chest then back up to his eyes.  She licked her lips.  Something in her expression reminded Dr. Solo that Omegas were known omnivores.  They were predators, they hunted.

 

He took a half step back.  He tried again, gesturing to her dress.  “Yours.  For you.”

 

Then to his shirt, hand waving up the length of her body.  “Mine.  For me.”

 

She ate through the entire apple core, seeds and all, leaving only a tiny stem.  She flicked it over her shoulder and took a step forward smacking her lips. She was only a couple of feet away.  

 

Dr. Solo stiffened his spine and held stock still.  They mutually studied one another.  He wondered what she thought of him, the way her eyebrows creased but the corner of her mouth drew up slightly.  Had she ever seen a man this close before?  She walked in a slow circle around him as he did his best not to move or crane his head to follow her.

 

For his part, he tried to absorb everything he could of her.  Bright, clear eyes reflected the kaleidoscope of color around her– the green of the grass, the blue of the sky, flecks of dark rock and white bits of cloud.  Her tawny skin held hints of freckles across the bridge of her cute button nose and round cheeks. Long brunette hair still fell loose down her back, half-wet.  

 

The Omega was legitimately stunning, not just her beauty but in the purest form of the word.  She was a rare specimen, a one-of-a-kind creature and nearly mythological in nature.

 

She silently stalked around him and then came to a stop.  Her full mouth slowly formed a word as he watched.  She pronounced it as if it felt fuzzy on her tongue, drawing out the vowels in an unusual manner.  

 

_“Miiiiine.”_

 

Her voice was lower than he expected, but more musical.  It entranced him. He smiled genuinely for the first time, forgetting to hide his slightly-crooked teeth.  

 

“Yes, that’s it, _mine_ ,” he said, encouragingly.  

 

She pointed to her chest, swallowed by his t-shirt, chin tilted down and eyes wide at him, as if expecting a correction.  “Miiiine?”

 

“Yes, my shirt.  Mine.” He nodded and smiled back.  Her smile bloomed with his.

 

She took a tentative step closer.  Dr. Solo stood ramrod straight and held his breath as he watched her fingertips rise.  They both stared at her hand as if neither knew exactly what it might do. Her fingertips, soft as a kiss, drifted to his chest and alighted there.  He did his best to not shudder in wonder and delight.

 

_First contact._

 

The Omega parted her lips.  He thought she looked a little surprised at the feel of him, as if she didn’t expect him to be solid under her touch.  She peered up at him under her long lashes.

 

“Miiiine?”

 

 _Oh, um._ Her wires were crossed.  She didn’t understand the word. _Hmm, this would be hard to explain._

 

He tried to clarify.  “Dr. Solo,” he said, softly, pointing slowly to himself.  “Ben.”

 

Small fingertips didn’t move from his chest as she worked out the word.   _“Behhnnn.”_

 

His heart skipped.  Tears threatened to rise at hearing her say his name– _his name!_  “Yes, Ben.”

 

“Miiiine,” she repeated.

 

His smile faltered.  He didn’t want to over-correct or discourage her.  She was doing so well, but clearly something was getting lost in translation.  He deflected.

 

“What is your name?” he asked gently, meeting her eyes.  “You?”

 

She was still touching him, he noticed.  

 

“Ben,” he pointed to himself.  He held his palm up to her and raised his brows, hoping she would fill in the blank.

 

The Omega suddenly dropped her hand and a made a long string of sounds in her language.  It sounded like she broke into a story suddenly and try as he might to keep up or pick a name from the string of syllables, he was hopelessly lost.  She stopped and looked at him expectantly.

 

He smiled weakly.  “Come again?”

 

She quirked her mouth and repeated one word a couple of times in a row.  The “R” rolled from the back of her tongue and the vowel sound was complex, but he tried his best to reproduce it.

 

“Rey?” he said.

 

She giggled, throwing her head back and closing her eyes.  Her cheeks dimpled. It was almost painfully adorable.

 

“Rey,” he tried again, with similar results for both of them.  She was in a fit of laughter.  He would need to work on it.

 

She recovered and wiped her eyes.  “Beehn,” she said, faster this time.

 

“Yes, Ben,” he grinned.  He gestured to her, “Rey.”

 

Rey beamed at him.  It was like the sun drawing forth from a cloud.  He basked in it.

 

She raised the other apple and held it out to him.  “Beehn. Miiine.”

 

Feeling an overwhelming sense of success, he took the apple.  “Yes, yes, my apple.  Mine.  Very good, you are getting this,” he nodded and took a huge bite.

 

Rey clasped her hands in front of her chest and scrunched up her shoulders in delight.  

 

She was a fast study, so clever and quick.  Dr. Solo was already forming his notes in his head.  The warm feeling of accomplishment washed over him.

 

Which is why he was completely unprepared when she launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around his waist in a full-body tackle.

 

Dr. Solo grunted and grabbed her in shock as they both went over backwards, landing in a squirming pile of tangled limbs.  She planted her palms on his chest and straddled his bare waist to sit up and hold him down, dark hair falling around him.  He looked up at her in astonishment, his glasses askew.

 

“Beehn,” she said, lids lowering to half-mast.  “Miiiiine.”

 

Rey’s slender thighs gripped him tight in a warm vice.  She had nothing on under his shirt and he could _feel_ that now. _Oh, God._ He didn’t dare look down.  His eyelids fluttered then shot open as she began to lean forward, biting her rosy lower lip.  He dropped the apple.

 

A loud gasp and shriek broke the moment and they both froze.  

 

Turning to the source of the commotion, he saw two Omegas on the rocky ledge above them with their mouths agape.  A small dark-haired one and a blonde with big eyes.  They began chattering and screaming and the little one picked up a small rock and hurled it at them.

 

Rey hissed and began shouting back as small rocks began to rain down around them.  One hit Dr. Solo’s calf and he cried out involuntarily. The two Omegas screeched in response and Rey jumped up and began to chase after them.  He grabbed his calf and rubbed the spot as he watched Rey clamber up the rocks.

 

They were getting away from him, again.  Dr. Solo pushed himself up and began running.

 

They were small and quick and knew the terrain and the shortcuts.  He tried his best to follow, but he was quickly losing ground.

 

He crested over the high ridge of the main island and saw a flash of blonde hair flying through the air off a ledge.  No, not flying, pole-vaulting. Dr. Solo slid to a panting stop in the loose gravel of the trail and watched the small dark-haired one take flight next.  They launched themselves over a narrow gap between the islands on long poles driven into the sea and hit the ground running on the other side to disappear around the hill.  

 

Rey was last to cross.  Once she landed, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at him.  She smiled impishly and then she was gone.

 

Dr. Solo watched helplessly as his t-shirt ran away from him.  


	6. Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW or Karate.
> 
> Thank you for all your comments and speculation! I hope you enjoy the eventual answers. 
> 
> :D

The first morning after contact with Rey, Dr. Solo woke up feeling rested.  The earplugs were undoubtedly helping him sleep better. The horny or angry Porgs didn’t bother him and he was adapting relatively well to the cot.  He felt optimistic.

 

Whistling a tune as he boiled water for coffee, Dr. Solo went through his morning routine.  He pulled out the Moleskin journal to consider his daily questions for further exploration.

 

_ Day Three (Post-contact)  _

 

_ Where was the rest of the herd? _

_ Why was only one individual (“Rey” sp?) making contact? _

_ Why were the other two Omegas throwing rocks at them? _

_ Why was Rey’s behavior atypical for Omegas? _

 

He paused and tapped his pen to his lower lip, conjuring her impish grin and sparkling eyes.  There was no denying she was a clear outlier of known Omega behavior. She was special. What should he make of that?  

 

Dr. Solo’s next line of inquiry toed the normally clear line he kept between the professional and the personal.

 

_ Why did she take his shirt? _

_ Why did she hug him? _

 

He paused for a moment, working his jaw.

 

_ Did she like him? _

 

His empty stomach suddenly felt full of butterflies.  He coughed and reached for his coffee and ration bar. Maybe he was hungrier than he thought. 

 

Rey’s dress hung in the corner of a tent on a nail.  Why had she left it? Did she want him to keep it, or was she just interrupted by the other Omegas?  Another mystery to puzzle apart. He’d try to ask her today, if they could communicate.

 

He remembered her words yesterday and the way she said his name.  _  Behhnn.   _ It made him smile.

 

After getting dressed, he tossed her dress over his shoulder and walked back to the spot by the tree to wait for Rey.

 

It was another lovely Spring day Ahch-To.  A faint chill clung only to the early morning hours now that the threat of frost had passed.  The island seemed to be waking up in the warm weather. The native grasses and flowering trees carried swollen buds preparing to burst open into bloom.  He leaned back and stretched out long, crossing his ankles and folding his arms behind his head to lean against the tree and watch the clouds aimlessly float overhead as he waited for her.

 

And waited.   

 

And waited.  

 

No Rey. 

 

By afternoon, he retreated back to the tent for lunch with his limbs feeling heavy.  He couldn’t hide the pit of disappointment he felt. The certainty that she’d return and they would pick up where they left off hadn’t even been questioned.  He reassured himself that the day was still young.

 

By bedtime, that reassurance had expired with the daylight.  He spent a quiet night alone in his tent with his thoughts.

 

Day Four also came and went with no sign of Rey or any other Omegas.  

 

The same for Day Five.  

 

That night, Dr. Solo began to panic.

 

Obviously, he had screwed up.  He must’ve done something very wrong in their encounter for her to stay away.  Did he scare her off? The thought sent chills and waves of regret through him.  Did the other Omegas convince her he was a threat after all? Her behavior had seemed so positive and friendly.  What did he miss? Dr. Solo was sure he made a mistake, but try as he might, he couldn’t figure out what. 

 

He lay awake on his cot late into the night.  He didn’t put in the earplugs, figuring he deserved the discordant screeching and shrieks of the Porgs as punishment for his sins.  He fucked up royally, that much was clear. The self-recrimination grew bigger in the darkness. 

 

Eyes glued on her dress as it hung in the corner in open mockery of him, he finally fell into a fitful sleep.  

 

+++

 

In his dream, it was morning on the island.  

 

Ben stepped out of his tent and stretched his arms wide in the bright sunlight.  He tipped his head back and closed his eyes with a lazy smile as he soaked in the fresh warmth.  His chest was bare and he wore nothing but shorts, but when he looked down they weren’t his. They were made from the same material as the Omega’s dress, a combination of fur and canvas.

 

Rey’s giggle made him look up.

 

She was standing in her matching dress, long brown hair loose and flowing, smiling at him mischievously.  Rey was gorgeous, feisty and ripe, a vision. A rush of unfamiliar emotion swelled in him, urges both strong and strange, and his mind began chanting  _ Want, Need, Take, Mine, Mine, Mine . . .   _

 

Rey turned and looked over her shoulder at him coquettishly.  Then she wiggled her perfectly round ass as if to tempt him. Ben felt a growl rise from deep within his chest as his dick twitched in his shorts.  She giggled again and took off running.  __

 

_ Claim, Mine, Mine!!!  _  The urges propelled him to chase after her.

 

The wind blew his long hair back as he ran.  Rey squealed and darted around boulders, weaving down the trail.  His heart beat fast in his chest from the thrill of the chase and the surety of what he’d do when he caught her.  Electricity coursed through his veins with every pump of blood and Ben felt both alive and on fire, as if he was tapping into unseen forces to race after her.

 

Rey hit a clearing, long hair flowing, and smiled over her shoulder at him with wild eyes.  The deep need screamed for him _to touch her, hold her, have her_ and he surged forward to scoop her up around the waist.  Ben lifted Rey up to his chest, kicking and squealing, as she wiggled like a freshly-caught fish in his arms.

 

He growled and held her tighter to his chest as he nuzzled into her hair.  He felt the growl melt into deep guttural purrs, and both he and Rey calmed as she lay her head on his shoulder.  She reached a hand up to cup his jaw softly. With a toss of her hair, she exposed her throat to him, and looked up with expectant eyes.  Drawn down by a deep instinct he didn’t understand, Ben traced his nose under her jaw. He scented her arousal and desire rising like a smoke off her mating gland as his hot breath hit her skin.  

 

The urge to taste her washed away any other thought.   _ Take, Claim, Mine.   _ Answering that strange need, he latched his mouth onto her gland and they both moaned in response as he started to suck.  He ground his hips into her firm ass as she pushed back against his cock . . . 

 

+++

 

Dr. Solo jerked awake and shot up in his cot, trembling.  He panted as his disoriented mind slowly came back to consciousness.

 

Of course he was alone, it was just a dream.  His hands shook as he raked them through his hair.  The alien need was all-consuming, almost animalistic, and was completely foreign to a Beta.    It felt so real, so vivid. He wondered if Alphas actually felt that way. He’d never know, but it sent a dark current of excitement through him even as she shuddered against it.  It seemed like a nightmare to be controlled by such strong biological urges.

 

He switched on the lantern.  Rey’s dress still hung innocently in the corner, but he eyed it suspiciously nonetheless.  Was it his imagination, or was her scent growing stronger? Dr. Solo thought he could detect a faint whiff of her Omega pheromones from across the tent.  That was impossible for a Beta like him, it must be a residual feeling from the dream.

 

He was painfully aware of another residual from the dream: his raging hard-on.  He lay down on his cot and tried to ignore it, but his cock was not amenable to that plan.  Even Betas have urges, and the dream _ felt _ so real.  It was a taboo temptation.

 

His mind warred with his desire.  Dr. Solo tried to rationalize his lust.  No harm in thinking of his research subject alone in his tent, right?  There were no ethical concerns if he didn’t act upon it. Thoughts are just thoughts.  He tugged down the hem of his boxers and his heavy cock bounced up onto his stomach, hot and insistent.  He was the only one who would know. 

 

Stroking himself firmly, he closed his eyes.  He imagined the taut feel of Rey in his arms, her laughter and sparkling eyes, the press of her tight ass into him.  His mind went further back to her bare pussy straddling his hips in his t-shirt and her naked curves doused in the waterfall.  

 

Dr. Solo came quickly bucking into his hand with soft grunts, spilling onto his bare stomach as he dreamed of Rey.  He wiped himself clean with his boxers and tossed them aside as he rose to find a clean pair, telling himself it was okay, there was no harm done.

 

It was only a dream.

  
  



	7. Village

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting for the update! I've enjoyed reading all your wonderful comments and theories. :D
> 
> Here's a bit more about the Omegas and a set up for some fireworks to come. 
> 
> Heh heh.

Dr. Solo woke in the early morning with a dull ache in his chest.  It felt almost like a pulled muscle. His cheeks reddened recalling his dream of catching Rey and his late night activity in response.  If he had injured himself jacking off, that was just about the most pathetic thing he could’ve imagined. It would be a just punishment for indulging in his inappropriate fantasy for his research subject.  The lines were clear, and he had crossed them.

 

Still, the pain in his chest didn’t exactly feel like a muscle, and goodness knows he had plenty of practice _ doing that  _ over the years, so he doubted that was the cause, after all.

 

Bleary-eyed, Dr. Solo rolled out of bed and changed into lightweight khaki field pants and an olive green t-shirt while he boiled water for coffee.  He skipped shaving as the risk of masculine intimidation now seemed a moot point. He hadn’t seen any Omega in days, not since Rey chased after the other two.  Dr. Solo chewed his breakfast ration bar listlessly as he wrote out the questions for the day. There was really only one.

 

_ Where were they? _

 

After cleaning up breakfast, he filled his canteen with fresh water.  The empty ache remained. Maybe he was coming down with something, he wondered with a slight bit of concern.  He felt hot and his throat was scratchy. The pilot Poe would return in a few days for the supply drop, so he might need to request meds over the satellite phone.  Dr. Solo preferred staying self-reliant, but he’d do what was necessary when it came down to it. He was by nature a practical man.

 

When he finally stepped outside, the bright sunlight made him blink as he scanned his surroundings.  It was a foolish hope, he knew, but his heart skipped imagining Rey perched on a rock nearby waiting for him, smiling like an adorable devil.  

 

She wasn’t there.  The campsite was empty, and he was all alone.  Dr. Solo worked his jaw as he swallowed down the thick disappointment.  There was another twinge in his chest and his hand flew up to rub it away with a grimace.  Scientist as he was, he finally turned his analytical gaze inward and identified the feeling.

 

It was loneliness.

 

In his normal life, the constant thrum of people acted as a steady companion of white noise, like the heartbeat of his day.  Even when he was alone he never truly was. From voices drifting in from another room to the sound of footsteps on an apartment ceiling, the echo of people nearby was a strange comfort he easily took for granted.

 

On Ahch-To,the human silence was deafening.  He had never felt so alone before. Everywhere around him there were animal sounds and the vibrant noises of life and growth, but nothing from other people.  It was a surprise to realize how much he missed them.

 

Even more so when he realized he missed one person in particular:   _ Rey. _

 

Dr. Solo was a scientist.  He identified problems, made theories, gathered data, and came up with conclusions.  He could apply science to his loneliness. There were other people living somewhere on these islands, so he would find them.  Simple.

 

Looping his binoculars around his neck, he captured his fluffy hair beneath a wide-brimmed hat.  He grabbed his journal and canteen with a new sense of resolution.

 

He wasn’t going to be alone anymore.

 

+++

 

The trail led up to the ridge and around to the crossing point where he saw Rey and the Omegas disappear over to the small island.  

 

Dr. Solo counted five very long poles resting on the rocks across the gap.  He realized this would be a way of monitoring their movements. By counting the poles on his side, he could track how many had crossed over.

 

All the poles were currently on the small island.  He’d need to find another way to get across.

 

Dr. Solo walked along the ridgeline to survey the area.  After walking down the trail for a few minutes, he noticed a rocky ledge about fifteen feet below.  It jut out just enough so that a large enough person might be able to stretch across the gap to the rocks on the other side.  His long legs may do the trick, it was worth a try. 

 

He picked his way down carefully, throat bobbing as he tried not to look at the sea below.  He wasn’t afraid of heights so much as he was afraid of falling. The seawater churned white and frothy in the cove beneath him, a drop of more than thirty feet.  He kept his focus on his fingers grasping the rock.

 

He finally made it down to the ledge.  The wind and the waves thrummed in his ears as loud as his heartbeat.  It took him a couple of tries to get up the nerve, but he finally stretched out a long leg and arm and leaned out over the void.  _  He could do this, he HAD to do this.   _ With a surge of adrenaline, he lurched across and clutched at the rocks on the other side as he panted and closed his eyes in relief.

 

Now it was time to investigate.

 

Dr. Solo followed a narrow billy-goat trail up to the hill that the Omegas had disappeared behind.  He needed a higher vantage point to study the terrain. He began to climb up the hill and had almost crested the top when a sound on the other side made him freeze and drop flat to his stomach.

 

It was laughter.

 

He crawled like a lizard the rest of the way up.  When he peered down on the far side of the hill, his smile broke free like the sun at dawn.  

 

Tucked behind the hill and blocked from the viewpoint of the main island was a thriving Omega village teeming with people and activity.  He had found them, finally.

 

The village was comprised of varying designs of small lean-to shelters of mixed materials and larger stone huts in the same beehive design as on his island, all set in a semi-circle.  The central hub included a fire circle and gathering space where Omegas buzzed about in what looked like a mixture of work and play.

 

His eyes darted around but he couldn’t pick out Rey.  He counted at least twenty individuals, all female and in various versions of the clothing that Rey wore.  He saw the blonde and dark-haired pair who had shrieked and thrown rocks at him, now laughing and at ease in their natural environment.  He also noticed a statuesque blonde with a hint of pink in her hair who seemed to have authority over the others. Perhaps she was their leader.

 

Dr. Solo noted their behavior, studying them through his binoculars.  

 

_ Cooking what looks like a broth of vegetables with chunks of fish. _

_ Scrubbing clothing or tarps with water and leaves?  _

_ Some type of sewing or mending? _

_ Weaving baskets from dried seaweed and grasses _

_ Firewood collection _

 

He wrote down everything in his journal, then a loud commotion caused him to look up.

 

There was loud screaming, the sounds of metal objects being thrown, and then out of one of the stone huts stormed Rey, still wearing his t-shirt, looking absolutely furious.

 

He smiled.

 

A thin, dark-haired Omega chased after her, chattering away.  Rey ignored her, scowling as she stomped to the fire circle. The other Omegas all took a step back, clearly not wanting to get involved in whatever the argument was between the two.

 

The dark-haired Omega reached for Rey, and she shrugged her off and turned to growl in her face aggressively.  The others chattered around them, but seemed intimidated by Rey. She was scowling like an absolutely beautiful monster and a little thrill coursed up his spine at the sight of her and her lovely fury.

 

The little blonde Omega with the big eyes crept closer behind Rey and reached out two fingers to surreptitiously touch at the hem of his shirt.  Rey caught her and wheeled around, hissing and slapping her hand away, and the blonde scurried off.

 

What on earth was going on?  

 

The tall blonde walked up to Rey and began gesturing sternly.  Rey stomped a foot and shook her head, reaching her arm out in the direction of his island as she protested something, loudly.  The tall leader was not persuaded by whatever Rey was saying and seemed to give no ground. Rey finally huffed and rolled her eyes as she stomped back to her hut and slammed the door.

 

He’d never seen her so fiery.  Her passion was . . .  _ noteworthy. _  Dr. Solo cleared his throat and nibbled back a smile as he took down more notes.

 

Another door opened and a red-haired girl stepped out from a hut and rubbed her stomach.  She was obviously heavily pregnant.  _ Hmm.   _ He looked around the village, frowning.  He had seen no males and no other children, and most of the Omegas seemed between the ages of 20-40.  

 

So how did the population support itself?  Where were the very young or old, and the men?

 

He looked back at the pregnant Omega.  She looked to be about seven or eight months pregnant in his estimation.  He did some mental calculations. That was around the time the fishermen discovered the island.  

 

_ Oh. _  It seemed like too much of a coincidence to brush away.  Dr. Solo grew pale as his stomach sunk in realization. 

 

He waited a bit longer, but Rey did not come outside the hut again.  With a bit of regret, he slipped back down the hill and crossed back to his side the same way he arrived.

 

Lost in thought, he walked back to his camp and prepared his lunch automatically.  He had a lot of information to digest.

 

The Omega population was not just native to the island, as they had supposed.  The individuals appeared to have a wide variety of genetic sources. The fact that there were no young, and no self-sustaining male population, implied that the tribe must be supported or influenced by outsiders somehow.  That meant civilized people knew the Omegas were here all along, even if it wasn’t a widely-shared fact. The thought unsettled him deeply, even more so when he thought of the redhead. 

 

Who knew the Omegas were here and why hadn’t they shared that knowledge?  To what motive were they kept in isolation?

 

Dr. Solo grabbed his towel and shampoo and walked to the spring where he first saw Rey.  Since the Omegas seemed to be avoiding him, he thought he’d enjoy a nice calming bath while he digested all he had learned.

 

He folded his clothes in a neat pile and stepped into a shallow area warmed by the sun.  The water was cool, but refreshing, and he soon adjusted. He spread out his arms like wings on the pool’s edge and closed his eyes as he lifted his chin up to the sun.  He soaked in the water and the light and felt weightless for a moment.

 

A sound cascading pebbles roused him.  He opened his eyes drowsily in that direction and heard a faint sigh from behind a rock.   _ Rey.   _ His heart nearly soared at about the same time he remembered he was naked as a jaybird in the water.  

 

A pair of blonde buns rose up from behind a rock and he stared into a pair of big, blue eyes.  

 

Dr. Solo’s jaw dropped open.  One word popped into his head, far from technical.

 

_ Shit. _


	8. Fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, oh, Kaydel.
> 
> Let's get this party started. Rey is tired of waiting! :D
> 
> Trigger warning: Rey is a fierce Omega and this is a fictional primitive culture, so she slaps him. Domestic abuse is not okay in real life! The characters don't consider this abuse in the story. It's just a couple of paragraphs, you can skip it if you need to.
> 
> I so appreciate your comments and support, thank you for reading!

Dr. Solo was a literal man.  His speech didn’t contain flourishes or grandeur, and he had no use for metaphors or turns of phrase.  He preferred specificity and accuracy in his communication.

 

Which is why he was surprised that as he sat naked in the spring, trapped by the strange Omega, his first thought was, _“so THIS is what it feels like to be caught with your pants around your ankles.”_ Or more accurately, without any pants at all.

 

He eyed his tidy stack of clothing on the edge of the pool.  Could he grab them without startling her?

 

The little blonde Omega slowly emerged from behind the rock with a sly smile.  She bat her eyelashes at him demurely in a most contrived manner, he thought.  Whereas Rey was a direct hit, a natural force with no guile or trickery, this individual was using more traditional Omega manipulation techniques.  His Beta nature was instinctively repulsed.

 

“Hello,” he said, keeping his voice in a mid-range tone, not too deep nor loud.

 

She giggled like a wind chime and dropped her chin to her chest in a kittenish fashion.  An Alpha would probably puff up at the act, flattered to feel even more dominant and powerful in comparison.  Instead, Dr. Solo found it low-key annoying.  He had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes.

 

“What’s your name?”  

 

She smiled and stared back at him coyly.  As her eyes dropped down to his shoulders and dripping chest, her index finger slipped in between her teeth.  He slouched deeper into the water and his hands cupped his groin in a protective fashion from her eager eyes.

 

He felt like a lightning bug in a jar.

 

“My name is Dr. Solo.”  He attempted a closed-mouth smile, but it probably came off more as a grimace.  She tiptoed closer to the edge of the pool a few feet away from him.  She lifted a heel and touched her knees together, making herself look even smaller as she rocked her hips side to side.  

 

His annoyance swelled at the act.  “But Rey calls me Ben.”

 

At the sound of Rey’s name, the Omega’s sweet facade wavered.  There was a flash of green fire in her eyes, a look of barely-suppressed rage.  Her mask soon snapped back into place but not before he had seen the ferocity that lay underneath.  

 

 _She’s not so innocent after all,_ he thought.   _She knows very well that Rey met me first._

 

He remembered earlier that morning when Rey had stormed outside her hut and how this Omega had reached for her shirt hem.  Rey had angrily slapped her hand away.

 

No, not Rey’s shirt.  His shirt.

 

Oh.

 

They both got the idea at the same time and lunged for his stack of clothes.

 

The Omega was small and quick, and Dr. Solo only had one hand, since he was still cupping his junk, so she made it there first.  She snatched his pile of clothes to her chest and danced away.  He stood dripping and cursing under his breath, bare ass out in the bright sunshine, before sinking back into the pool.

 

“Now, those are mine,” he said weakly.  The Omega giggled again and climbed up onto a higher rock to investigate her prize.  She rifled through the stack and ignored him completely.

 

He decided to try a firmer approach.  “You simply cannot show up and take my things.”

 

She held up his shirt upside down, turning it around and then stuffing it up to her face to sniff.  She scrunched up her nose and puffed air out of her nostrils powerfully in a gust as if the smell was unappealing.  

 

Dr. Solo found himself vaguely offended.   _Rey seems to think I smell very nice,_ he thought peevishly.  

 

The Omega slipped his shirt over her dress.  It came down to her knees.  He groaned and watched helplessly as she held up his boxers and pants.  The pants were laughably big, but the boxer briefs were a tighter fit.  She stepped into them and Dr. Solo pressed his eyelids closed so he wouldn’t have to watch the underwear that just cradled his intimate places land on hers.

 

He was going to have to ask Poe to bring a combination lock.  If she went back to the village to show off her finds, would the whole tribe flood over and raid his camp?  Dr. Solo entertained a nightmarish vision of being overrun by feral women who would strip him bare like bloodthirsty fashion ghouls.  His humiliation would truly be complete if he had to call for rescue while buck naked.

 

The Omega stood up and put her hands on her hips, quite proud of herself.  She eyed him and cocked her head as she chattered away, clearly expecting his praise.

 

Dr. Solo crossed his arms over his chest and refused to validate her choices.  “No,” he said, stern as he could. “Give me back my clothes, please.”

 

He wasn’t an Alpha, so his tone held no sway over her.  She giggled and tossed her head and then skipped away through the rocks.  She disappeared from view and he was left alone and wet, with just the light afternoon breeze for company.

 

Dr. Solo lay his head back on the rock behind him and closed his eyes.  He listened to the screeching of the Porgs as it carried over from the meadow.  Based on volume alone, it was clearly enthusiastic mating.  It was that season.  Spring was in full swing on the island and there was a buzzing current of renewal in the air.  

 

He sighed and washed his hair slowly.  At least it felt good to be clean again.

 

A different kind of screeching carried in over the hills from a distance, much closer to human this time, and he paused to listen.  It was high-pitched and emphatic, with other angry shrieks overlapping.  Whatever creature was making that terrible sound was getting it’s hide handed to them, for sure.  The shrill voice echoed, then there was a flurry of other loud shouts and everything fell quiet again.  He made a mental note to add that curious event to his journal.

  

Luckily, the little rat hadn’t taken his towel.  He stood up and dried himself off.  Dr. Solo wrapped the towel around his waist, then slipped on his boots and climbed up the rocks to retrieve his pants.  Holding the towel low on his hips, he slung his pants over his bare shoulder and walked back to camp looking down. He glowered at the trail and at his incredibly rotten track record of keeping a hold on his own damned clothes.

 

When he approached his tent, he noticed the flap fluttering softly and he slowed in confusion.  That was odd, he was sure he had tied it securely before he left . . .

 

Dr. Solo jumped back in surprise as Rey came rushing out of his tent, nostrils flaring like a bull, her perfect little jaw clenched tight as she set her sights on him.  She stopped and her eyes narrowed.

 

His eyes flew open wide and he froze mid-step.  He read her body language loud and clear.

 

_Wide stance- check_

_Shoulders lifted- check_

_Fists clenched- check_

_Teeth bared- check_

_Angry eyes- check_

 

He had one very pissed-off feral Omega on his hands.

 

Rey gripped his clothing in her fist.  She must’ve stripped them off the little Omega by force, by the looks of it.  Her knuckles on one hand were scraped and bloody, and there was a rip in the neck of his shirt.  She stomped forward and held them up with a dark fury in her eyes.

 

_Oh, fuck._

 

“Rey,” he said, lifting up his free hand in surrender as the other clutched his towel.  Did she even know the concept of surrender?  Her eyes gave nothing away.

 

She jut her chin out at him and walked closer.

 

For some strange reason, he felt a sudden wave of guilt.  Why?  He had done nothing wrong here.  Twice, _twice,_ his personal belongings were taken from him without permission.  He was by all counts the victim, so why did the intensity of her anger make him want to apologize?

 

“Rey,” he tried again.  “This isn’t what it looks like.”  What did it look like to her?  What was she thinking?

 

Rey frowned and threw his clothes in his face, and he flinched back.  She began yelling in her language, and although he didn’t know a word, he was pretty sure some creative cursing was involved.

 

She stepped forward and jabbed a finger into his naked chest.  He shook his head uselessly and looked at her with pity in his eyes.  She did not like that one bit.  “Behn.  Miine.  Rey,” she said, scowling.

 

His mind raced to catch up and put all the pieces together.

 

_Rey is angry at him and the other Omega._

_Rey’s acting aggressive, which is an Omega response to her territory being threatened._

_That means Rey thinks_ he’s _her territory._

 

The conclusion made him tingle unexpectedly.  No one had ever fought over him before, or even wanted to.  The idea that he, a Beta, was wanted so badly to instigate violence was darkly thrilling.  It was surely an unbecoming feeling that he would never admit to out loud, but the vision of two feral Omegas ripping themselves apart on his behalf was so damned arousing it made him shift on his feet.

 

He was brought back to reality when Rey slapped him across the face, hard enough to sting.

 

“Hey,” he said, but she was already winding up to hit him again.

 

Dr. Solo recoiled at the last second so she swung and missed.  Rey snarled and lunged forward and scratched the nails of one hand down his chest, marking his skin with angry red stripes as he shouted.

 

She was in a fit of temper, and he had only one hand to defend himself.  Dr. Solo had two choices: run away from his own campsite, with her likely following, or drop the towel and stand his ground to defend himself.

 

Rey hissed and lunged.  

 

Dr. Solo dropped the towel.

 

She launched at him and he caught her around the biceps so she couldn’t swing at him anymore.  Rey wiggled like an eel and spit like a viper as she chattered at him angrily, kicking her feet up at him.  One foot hit his thigh and he grunted.  Dr. Solo was in an extremely vulnerable position if her aim improved slightly, so he hauled her into his chest to restrain her in a bear hug.

 

Rey squirmed against him, panting, and he squeezed her in tighter so she couldn’t get loose and hurt him again.  He crossed his arms behind her back.  “Stop, Rey, stop,” he said, “Calm down!”

 

After a few moments of holding her, she tired herself out.  Her movements slowed even as her panting increased.  She leaned her forehead against his chest and he felt her muscles slowly shift and relax.  Her shirt, _his shirt,_ had raised up to her waist in the struggle.  He didn't dare loosen his grip and risk another onslaught until he was sure she was done.

 

Rey shifted her weight and he held her tighter as Dr. Solo prepared for another struggle.  He was absolutely _not_ prepared for her to press her hips forward and brush her belly against his half-hard cock.  The contact of her hot, bare flesh on his was a shock that caused him to inhale sharply through his teeth.

 

As if to prove it wasn’t an accident, Rey did it again, slowly, panting her hot little breaths against his chest.  She was a bit sweaty, and so was he, and it just made the slide better.

 

“Wha–what’re you doing?” he whispered, but he could feel every inch of what she was doing to him.  It was clear that she felt it, too, by the way a little trilling purr started in the back of her throat.

 

She managed to wiggle a hand out to his hip.  Rather than push or claw him, Rey dug her fingertips in and pulled him closer.  Dr. Solo grew lightheaded as all his blood flowed in one direction.  He closed his eyes to the bright sunlight and gave in to the feeling.

 

This was wrong.  So, so wrong.  Nothing had ever felt this wrong, and as _f_ _ _uc_ king incredible_ as this felt.  Every spot she touched him was electrified, even just the brush of her hand.  He closed his eyelids so tightly he saw stars.  He was flying through space.  She turned the sun to the moon for him.  

 

Her hand moved and dug into the divot on the side of his ass.  She lifted on tiptoes to rub against him with more range, trilling low and deep.  He crushed her to his chest, arms tightening in different instinct now, as she slid her nimble body against his.

 

Rey turned her head on his chest to face the scratches she made.  He flinched when she stuck out her tongue and licked a stripe across the marks.  Dr. Solo groaned, slow and pained, as Rey kissed and licked the marks she made on him, adding in little bites.  

 

Fuck, why did that feel _so good?_ This wasn’t making sense.  He should be worrying about infection, not dripping pre-come against her belly because she just assaulted and then  _licked_ him.  His mind started spinning like a merry-go-round.  Rey ground up against him, her hot, slick skin pressing into his, and he couldn’t get enough oxygen to his brain.  His breath was rasping in his chest and his hips started to rock up to meet hers as he bowed his back over her.

 

He should stop, but he couldn’t stop.  The logical part of his brain was fading away, like turning down the volume knob, just as a deep, animalistic part woke up and started to sing.   _Want.  Want.  Need.  Rey._ It was a chorus of desire that drowned out every other concern.  Dr. Solo felt the earth shift beneath him, the green grass and rocks of the island slowly tilting, as if he were feeling the very rotation of the earth and everything was sliding in one direction . . . to her.

 

Rey looked up at him, dazzling hazel eyes full of life, and cupped his cheek.  He blinked at her in wonder with a soft smile.  She laced her fingers in his hair at the nape of his neck and roughly tugged him down to her beautiful, determined face.

 

She scraped her lower lip between her teeth, and said fiercely,  “Behn. Miine.  Rey.”

 

He met her insistent gaze, feeling high as a kite and just as weightless, as the scratches on his chest tingled and stung.  The last rational thought that floated through his mind like a cloud was that she must have infected him with her powerful pheromones, that the scratch and the lick had broken the blood barrier.  Rey’s undiluted Omega essence was flowing through him like a drug.

 

Rey pulled him down to her mouth, kissing him possessively, sucking his lower lip into her mouth, and when Dr. Solo closed his eyes the stars exploded into a rainbow of light and he gave in as the earth shifted again and everything fell into darkness.

 


	9. Tent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, Dr. Solo, methinks you protest too much.  
> Something is going on with Ben  
> Alpha?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so, so much for supporting this story! Your comments and engagement are so important to me!
> 
> On a serious note: in the wake of the recent Vader comic controversy, I want to honor all of you readers, writers and supporters of fan fiction and women's voices in our fandom. We are valid and important. Our stories matter, and we have as much right to be a part of Star Wars as any one else. The galaxy is huge and there is room for all of us to feel respected. Star Wars is about hope, compassion and redemption, and women's stories are every bit as valid as men's. PERIOD.
> 
> On that note, I wanted some feisty Rey tonight. I may edit this more later, but let's have some fun seeing Rey get her way a little bit, hmm?

Ben woke to a ringing in his ears.  His head throbbed along with his pulse, and he groaned and rubbed his temples to quiet the noise.  His reluctant eyes blinked open, and for a moment he didn’t know where he was.  He stared straight up and recognized a new angle of the crossbeam of his tent.

 

He tried to piece together how he got there.  

 

_There was Rey, glaring at him . . . her slap and then the kiss . . . his hunger as he kissed her back . . . and then bright fireworks behind his lids that faded into a starless night . . ._

 

So, he had fainted.  Rey kissed him, and his brilliant response was to pass out like a shy maiden.  Wow. He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut.  As he pinched the bridge of his nose in dismay, he realized he'd also lost his glasses.  It was a truly impressive new level of Ben Soloism.

 

_Crunch._

 

Ben struggled up to his elbows to follow the sound to the corner of the tent.  In the filtered light, everything was a bit fuzzy without his glasses.

 

The first thing that came into focus was Rey’s perfect, scrumptious ass.  It was playing peek-a-boo with him from under the hem of his shirt as she bent over his food crate, scavenging.  She almost toppled in as she rummaged around, mooning him in the process.  Then she stood up, one hand holding a carrot and the other a package of protein bars that she inspected while chewing.  She took another hearty bite of carrot.   _Crunch._ Then tossed the bars on his cot and dove into the box again, flashing her pert cheeks.

 

Ben bit his lip at the urge to take a bite out of _her._  He was about to say something like, “it’s not polite to steal food,” or “haven’t you ladies ever heard of asking first?” when the words caught between his lips as he became acutely aware of his state of dress.  

 

Or rather, his very pronounced state of _undress._

 

He was bare-ass naked with his towel underneath him.  Rey must’ve somehow rolled him onto it to drag him inside by his feet.  A good thing, because pale as he was, he'd certainly have a nasty sunburn by now.  It couldn’t have been easy, he must have at least 70 pounds on her.  Evidently, she had worked up quite an appetite.

 

Rey looked over her shoulder and caught him staring.  In return, her eyes poured down his body until they pooled at his crotch.  It was with an entirely different sort of appetite that she swallowed her mouthful of carrot and slowly licked her lips.

 

Ben gulped under the heat of her stare.  His body didn’t have the common decency to remain unaffected in his vulnerable state.  It was made immediately apparent to both of them _precisely_ what her pert derriere and that glimmer in her eye did to him.  His cock rose up like a flagpole and in his feverish state he didn’t even have the energy to hide it.

 

Rey snapped her eyes back to his and tilted her her head to the side.  She smiled.  The little minx maintained eye contact as she wrapped her lips around her carrot and bit.

 

 _Crunch._  

 

The dizziness returned and the sheer mortification of it all knocked him back to the ground.  He stared up at the roof of his tent.  This was it. This was peak Benjamin Solo, defenseless and laid-out for inspection with an inappropriate boner.  He had achieved the singularity of embarrassment.

 

Rey jumped off the bed and came to his side.  “Water,” he croaked out.  She peered down at him and he cupped his hand to his mouth to mimic drinking.  She understood and hopped away.  He heard sounds of his tent being tossed about and then Rey was back with his canteen.  She held it up to his lips.

 

Rey began chattering in her language and then said, “water,” clear as day.  She was so smart, already learning multiple words in his language whereas he could only pronounced her name in a manner that made her laugh.  She ran circles around him, the supposed civilized intellectual, and he found it amusing and rather intriguing.

 

The first drop of water touched his lips and Ben shivered.  He hadn’t realized how parched he was, his mouth dry as a desert and a fire burning in his throat.  The water couldn’t go down fast enough and some dribbled down his chin.  The chill on his hot skin was a welcome relief.  Did get a sunburn after all?  How long was he out there?  Was he sick?  Poe wouldn’t arrive for three more days, and all he had was Tylenol and some basic antibiotics.  He was reluctant to call for help.

 

 _It would look weak.  He wasn’t weak, he was strong.  He deserved respect._ Ben shook his head at the strange intrusive thoughts.  Maybe he hit his head when he fell?

 

Rey pet his shoulder and looked down at him sympathetically.  She made a tiny sound like the cooing of a dove.  It was a sweet gesture, and Ben smiled up at her dreamily.

 

“Thank you,” he said.  “For bringing me in.”

 

She smiled and her petting turned into stroking.  She brushed her fingertips across his chest and looked down, mesmerized, as his muscles twitched under her hand.

 

Ben was aware that he was an impressively large man.  For most of his life, it had been an unfortunate quality and mostly to his detriment.  He grew so fast in high school that his new dimensions tripped him up and he often stumbled over his too-large, slightly pigeon-toed feet.  In college, most of the research labs were made for average-sized bodies, so he felt like a bull in a China closet.  Physical strength and size were not necessary characteristics for an academic mind, and were more often than not hazards.

 

But as Rey stroked him, seemingly enjoying the depth of his pectoral definition, Ben felt a deep tickle of pride at his own body for the first time.  He could tell that she liked that it was strong.  Ben liked that she liked it.  This was a new revelation, and without pants, he literally couldn’t hide how affected he was by her appreciation.

 

Her hands drew soothing circles on his chest, and then she looked down at the only part of him that was moving.  Her eyes grew wide in direct proportion to his growing response to her.

 

“Ooooh,” she said in surprise.  It was one word he didn’t need a translation for.  Her hands traced down his abdominals and it was with great strength of will that he captured her wrists before she clutched him in her small hands.  Rey lifted her eyebrows to him, and Ben smiled feebly.  

 

“No, Rey.”

 

“Behn?” she asked.  “Mine?”

 

His steaming skin felt even hotter.  “No, Rey,” he said softly, shaking his head.  She looked at him quizzically and he circled the inside of her wrist with his thumbs to reassure her that he wasn’t upset.  Her Omega scent perfumed the air from the glands he brushed against and he took a deep, shuddering inhale. _Why did she smell like fresh apple pie?  Was he losing his mind?_

 

“I’m too weak right now,” he said, afraid of what her touch might do to him, of how quickly he may come undone if she pulled at the last strand of his control.   _It’s also not right,_ he thought to himself, but didn’t say those words aloud.

 

Rey studied him for a minute and then leaned forward over his chest.  He flinched when she pressed on the scratches she had made, still stinging and tender.  His grip on her hands was loose enough that she shifted it to gently, but firmly, pin his arms down at his sides.  Rey leaned in close, her hot breath puffing on his cheek.  Even without his glasses, he could make out individual freckles and the flecks of gold and green in her irises.  Then she nuzzled under his jaw and sniffed.

 

Whatever she smelled on his Beta skin pleased her.  Her back arched as she pressed her chest down on him and trilled happily.  The feel of her tight body squirming against his made him tip his hips up to her on reflex, chasing after her touch.  

 

Rey hummed against his skin. _“Alpha,”_ she whispered.

 

Ben’s eyes had drifted closed in pleasure, but they snapped open at the word.  “No, Rey,” he said. “Beta. I’m a Beta.”

 

Rey giggled as if he told her a joke and nibbled on the side of his neck.   _Goddamn,_ if it wasn’t electric, her teeth scraping against him with just the right amount of bite.  He could practically see the sparks flying.

 

“Behn, mine,” Rey said, voice suddenly husky.   _“Alpha.”_

 

Before he could correct her again, she licked a slow, thick stripe from his collar bone up the side of his neck all the way to his earlobe.  Ben jolted as if he had touched a live wire.  He grunted and his hips lifted off the ground, taking her up with him.

 

“ _Fuck,_ Rey,” he exhaled as she held on tight.  A sweat broke out on his brow as she rocked against him and his heart beat in a staccato rhythm.  Ben’s head was swimming in her rich scent and his rational brain was drowning.  This was dangerous, he needed to stop her and send her away until he was feeling better, before they . . .  

 

 _Mine. Want. Rey._  The deep, animal center of his brain growled at the very thought of letting her go.  Ben was quickly getting sucked under by an uncontrollable riptide of urges. If he didn’t exert himself now, there would be no turning back.  

 

“Rey,” he groaned, closing his eyes with the effort of controlling himself.  “You have to stop.”

 

She ignored him, kissing and licking his throat, then started to suck above his hammering pulse. _Fuck, fuck,_ that was amazing, but he couldn’t, he shouldn’t . . .

 

“Rey!” he barked in a loud and commanding tone that blasted through the tent like a sonic boom.  Rey froze.  The change was immediate.  She sat up and shrank back from him with wide eyes.

 

Ben’s chest was heaving with each breath as she watched him with eyes as big as saucers.  He sighed and lowered his voice, his control far easier to maintain when she wasn’t touching him.  “Water, please.” He lifted his eyebrows in question and gave her a gentle smile.

 

She released his wrists and took the canteen away to refill.  Ben wiped his face with both hands then lifted his head up and groaned at the sight of his hard cock before dropping his head down again.

 

One more moment, and he would’ve . . . they would’ve . . . _ah, what was happening to him?_  His skin ached and his head was spinning.  He was going to pass out again.

 

Rey returned and helped him drink.  Then she went back to her pile of food, _his food,_ and brought him a protein bar, peanut butter and chocolate, his favorite.  She crouched down to rip into it.

 

He thought she’d hand it over, but instead she tore of a piece for him.  He reached out, but she bypassed his fingers and placed it directly in front of his mouth.  She nodded her head and smiled, urging him to take it.

 

Ben did.  He let her feed him.  Rey placed a piece in his mouth, then tore off one for herself.  Back and forth, a little bit for him and a tiny piece for her, fed by the same hand.  Not the most effective way to eat, certainly, but by the time the bar was gone, he was sated.  

 

He realized what she was doing.  She was nursing him in the gentle Omega way because she could sense he was ill.  Normally Omegas were protected by Alphas, but they were great nurturers themselves, especially in times of stress or need, when their maternal natures would take over.  He had never been cared for like this.  It felt surprisingly good.

 

Rey licked her fingers and then knelt down beside him.  He shivered again.  She cocked her head to the side and then quickly reached down and stripped off his shirt.  Now it was his turn to gape at her, nude beside him.

 

She was absolutely gorgeous, a sea of golden skin.  He wanted to chart her waters and map every inch of her soft, flowing curves and swells of lean muscle.  Rey helped him sit up and then she put the shirt over his head. It was warm and soft and smelled just like her, _heavenly._  His eyes drooped as he was overtaken with calm, sleepy feelings. He felt like warm chocolate in the sun, ready to melt into a puddle.  She stood and helped him up, and after several tries they made it to his cot and then sank down into it together.

 

Rey curled up beside him and arranged the sleeping bag on top of them both.  Ben was shivering and far too exhausted to think anymore. He was hot, dizzy, and a mess of other feelings that were too blurred together to define.

 

As Rey snuggled against his front and lay her head on his bicep, her lips pressed against his shoulder.  His eyelids drooped and one particular feeling floated up just as he drifted into unconsciousness.

 

_Happiness.  It was happiness._

 

He was ridiculously, blissfully, uncontrollably happy.

 


	10. Taste

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not safe for work or karate!
> 
> Yes, this is all smut.
> 
> :D

Ben stood alone on the beach.  The sun blazed high in the sky, and he could almost feel his pale skin start to blister.

 

He squinted against the glare from the water, the white light fracturing against the waves like shards of glass.  His bare toes dug into the hot, white sand beneath his feet and he frowned, puzzled.

 

This wasn’t Ahch-To.  This was Margate, New Jersey, the beach from his childhood, the one they came to every summer before Mom and Dad split up.  

 

He sat down, befuddled, and his damp skin stuck to the rough sand.  Heat burned through him from all directions, seeping under his skin and down to his very bones.  

 

“Ben?”

 

He turned and looked up, palm shading his eyes against the blinding light.  A figure stood against the flaming ball of the sun, a brief respite from the oppressive heat.  He could make out nothing more than a silhouette of cool darkness.  She leaned in closer to him with a purr and his hand was full of something soft.  

 

Suddenly there was an explosion of flavor in his mouth.  He was licking the most delicious ice cream cone. Creamy, sweet, vanilla and cinnamon, _his favorite._  He lapped up a long stripe of the milky goodness and sighed happily.  This was _exactly_ what he needed right now.  The cool sugar on his tongue was such a contrast from the burning of his skin that he shivered in delight.  The scrumptious flavor was both intoxicating and sating. He could eat this treat all day long, he _would never stop_ , he squeezed his eyes closed happily . . .  

 

 _“Behhnn,”_ Rey cooed in his ear.  

 

Ben opened his eyes.

 

It was dark and they were entwined on his cot.  He must have a fever, he felt as if every inch of him was on fire.  Ben looked down at his right hand, comfortably full of something round and soft.  The moon shone through the canvas of the tent and gave Rey’s skin a bluish glow as his eyes came into focus finally.  He saw his fingers cupped around the firm mound of her breast, kneading and stroking.  

 

Ben’s eyes grew wider.  He wasn’t dreaming.

 

He tried to look at Rey’s face, but from his position locked under her jaw all he could see was the outline of her full lips in profile, parted in pleasure.  A lazy smile tugged at the corners.  She stretched to lift her jaw up, opening more neck up to him, and licked her lips as if she was every bit as thirsty as he felt.

 

 _“Mmm, Behn,”_ Rey moaned, voice husky as it rose from deep within her throat.  At the sound, his entire body flushed hotter, which was an impressive feat considering he was already immolating from the inside out.   _What was happening to him?_ Ben exhaled in a hot gust, overwhelmed by the feel of her body under his, and Rey shivered deliciously as the patch of neck he had just been so ardently licking prickled with goosebumps.  Her smile stretched wider and he eyed her neck like it had a bullseye painted on it and his mouth was the arrow.

 

Oh.   _Oh boy._ Awareness returned back to him like high tide, and Ben struggled to stay afloat.  His emotions were a confusing combination of surprise, lust, guilt, and comfort all warring for prominence.  His logical mind struggled for control of his thoughts, but it was being held down and pummeled by the desperate, burning, animal need to touch her,  _everywhere,_ with his body and his mouth.

 

“Rey,” he said in warning, maybe a last chance.  It took every last ounce of his remaining will power to roll himself onto his back and away from her.  He lifted up his palms to his shoulders in surrender, maybe to show them both he wasn't a threat.  

 

Rey wasn't having it.

 

Rather than let him go, she took matters into her own hands, literally, and rolled right on top of him.  Her hot little tits chased after his palms as if they were magnets following the pull.  Rey’s breasts neatly filled his hands, pinning him down, and they both groaned in unison, her in delight and him, deeply and with conviction.  Her legs split to straddle his hips and Ben dropped his head heavy on his pillow, in abject defeat and acceptance of whatever sin fate had in store for him now.

 

Dr. Solo was a man of many words, most of them precise and well-considered.  But as Rey arched her back to fill his hands and slid her own palms under his shirt to his chest, all those articulate words were lost and all he could say was, " _Oh, fuck me.”_ What the utterance lacked in propriety it made up for in brutal accuracy.  It was both a plea and an exclamation, and probably no truer words had ever fallen from his lips.

 

He was trapped under her tantalizing weight, blood boiling and skin on fire, sick with some kind of illness that only had one cure.  Rey scooted her hips closer and her soaking and soft pussy slid down until it cushioned his aching ballsack. It was like connecting the positive and negative sides of a battery.  Ben jolted as his back stiffened, the shock of her touch sending his spine rigid as every muscle of his abdomen tensed.

 

 _“Ooh, Alpha,_ ” Rey whispered, nimble fingers tracking down the flat plane of his abdominals.  Ben never knew fingertips could feel like that on skin.  Her pussy cradled his balls and her fingers set every nerve alight, and this was a whole new world of ecstasy, a discovery so profound that it was a world-altering paradigm shift.  Ben didn’t even notice her using the wrong designation, because what could mere words matter when her nails were doing _that_ to his skin.  He could almost come just from that, when Rey was the one doing it.

 

 _“Goddamn,_ Rey,” he said.  It came out choked and ragged, almost forlorn, the strands of his control frayed so completely that even his voice couldn’t hold it together.

 

Rey cocked her head and slowed her movement.  She seemed alert and cautious, trying to read his mood like a good Omega should, like maybe she couldn’t tell if he was pleased with her.

 

Dr. Solo was very, _very_ pleased with her.

 

He needed to reassure her, comfort her like an Omega needs comfort.  He somehow knew what to do.  Ben sat up and held her cheeks in his hands, thumbs stroking as he leaned in close.  Rey froze and their breaths mingled. Her lean thighs squeezed around his hips, as if in question.  His rock hard cock answered by digging almost painfully into his stomach between them.

 

Rey’s eyelids fluttered as she looked at him, intelligent hazel eyes waiting for his response.

 

“Yes, Rey,” Ben whispered, panting as he held onto his last fiber of control.  How could one lone man fight Mother Nature?   _Why should one man even try?_

 

“Yes.”

 

She smiled, clever eyes dancing with moonlight.  Despite his size advantage, despite his massive hands on her, there was no way he could’ve held her back, even if he wanted to.  Rey dove for his mouth and he opened for her, the taste of her hot sweetness the only cure he needed.

 

She stripped off his shirt– or was it her shirt now?– quickly, and when her bare chest pressed against his, Ben hissed at the sizzle, like grease hitting a pan.  His hands slipped all over her– her sides, her breasts, that perfect ass, her shoulders and legs– reassuring himself she was really there with each touch.  His fingers finally thread into the back of her hair, both a control and a comfort, and he drew her tightly to him as he fell back on the cot.

 

His knees bent so he could plant his big feet down for leverage and he spread his thighs wide to hook her legs in place.  Urgent and unfamiliar urges _to capture her, secure her, protect her,_ echoed from a hidden well deep inside.  Ben broke from her mouth with a groan as he tipped his hips up to raise her off the cot, hands still firmly rooted in her hair.

 

Rey gasped and her eyelashes fluttered as she threw her head back, the long curve of her graceful neck exposed to him.  His animal mind targeted on the smooth skin behind her ear like a predator, and with a cascade _of mine, mine, mine, Rey,_ he pinned her hair back to hold her neck open and rose to plant his mouth on her salty skin.  He began to suck.

 

The world started spinning and Ben had to close his eyes to stop the vertigo.  Behind his lids were more flashes of colored light and his mouth was filled with her decadent taste.  He was still falling, head over feet, tumbling down to somewhere warm, and safe, and wonderful. The roaring of waves was deafening, or was it the rush of blood through his veins?  He was wrapped up in the feel of her, her taste, the smell of fresh grass and flowers, spice and fruit.  It was losing control and drowning, but in the best possible way, and he only stopped laving at her skin when her hips began to move against his cock.

 

Rey was as drenched for him as he was impossibly hard for her.  Ben couldn’t imagine penetrating her in this state, the thought alone made him almost tip over the edge, and he thought it might kill him.   _Had Rey ever had sex before?  Had she even touched a man?_  He was too dizzy to think straight, so he didn’t think at all.  Even the _thought_ of thinking vanished when Rey slid her soaking cunt along the underside of his shaft in a steady, burning path, from the base of him all the way up to his tip.

 

Ben should really be embarrassed for the volume and sheer depravity of the sounds that came out of his throat.  He must’ve made even the horny porgs blush.

 

Rey stopped at his tip, shifted her hips, and then slid down, just as methodically.  Her narrow hips flexed and angled, thighs squeezing against him brilliantly. If only he had a mirror to see exactly what her perfect ass looked like right now.  On second thought, that image would probably decimate what was left of his brain cells, and he may need to think again one day.

 

Rey began a slow rhythm of dragging her wet slit up and down his cock as he split her sopping folds.  If she felt this good on the outside . . . he couldn’t even finish the thought. Ben grabbed her hips, fingers pressing into the meat of her curves, to push her down with more friction as he growled.

 

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck, Rey, mine, mine_ , the strange litany of urges repeated from his untamed depths.  Rey moaned, wantonly, and started to move faster.  He held her fast in his greedy hands, adding more heat to the rub, an inferno now, and he was burning with her, happily.

 

Her slick coated them both and a drop of sweat rolled down her breast.  Ben lurched up to catch it on his tongue.  While he was there, he took the nipple in his mouth and swirled his tongue.  Rey clutched his shoulders, digging in with her nails, as her hips tipped faster against him.

 

She cried out, _“Behhnn!”_ and he could feel her pussy pulsing around him.  It was enough to send him careening over the edge himself.  Ben clutched her to his heaving chest, arms wrapped around her narrow back, as he exploded between them with a grunt, his hot spend sticking to their bellies.

 

Rey dropped her forehead to his shoulder as she caught her breath.  He kissed her temple as he stroked her back with light scratches. His temperature started a precipitous decline and he shivered as the cool night air hit his sweat-slick back.

 

Ben drifted backwards holding Rey to his chest.  She shifted her legs back to lay flat on him, like a second skin that was sealed to him by his sticky cum.  It was filthy, animalistic, and _marvelous._

 

Rey threw her hair over a shoulder and rest her cute little chin on her folded hands to gaze at him.  She smiled, sly.  Ben smiled back at her, drowsy, as he faded fast into an orgasmic daze.  The moon bathed her in light, like she was made of magic, as if it worshipped her, too.

 

Rey pressed up from his chest and looked down at his stomach and then back to him.  Her eyebrow quirked up, that sneaky little sparkle back in her eyes.  Then she scooted down and bent down to take a small, tentative lick of his cum.  She made a pleased little chirp and took a bigger lick.  Ben felt almost high on the explosion of her pheromones that clouded thick in the tent around them.  It was a condensed scent bomb of pure, unfiltered Omega, and he took a direct hit.  Ben felt drunk and very tired as he dropped his head back stroked the back of her head lovingly as his eyes closed in bliss.

 

Ben drifted back to sleep as Rey lapped at his cum, evidently finding him as delicious as he found her.  Whatever ethical, biological, or hygienic concerns he may have about this were thoughts for tomorrow.

 

Tonight he was completely at the mercy of Rey, and it was exactly what Ben wanted.

  



	11. Trigger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting, lovely friends! I appreciate your patience! This is pretty much all smut, so not safe for work or karate. :D More plot coming soon!
> 
> I greatly appreciate your lovely comments and enthusiasm! Thank you!
> 
> BTW, if you want to read another sweet/smutty/playful ABO by me, try "Down an Inch, Up an Inch" here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15744702/chapters/36610989.

It had been so long since Ben had slept with another human being that he would have predicted it to be an uncomfortable experience.  Shoulders held at awkward angles, knees bunching, arms and hands falling asleep. Accommodating another sentient being into one’s personal sleeping space was always a fraught experiment that didn’t live up to the expectations.

 

Until Rey.

 

Rey solved all those pesky arrangement problems by taking her half in the middle.  She attached herself to Ben like a land-based cephalopod and draped her firm body over his, spread-eagled.  It was like sleeping under a soft, warm, incredibly sweet-smelling Omega-weighted blanket. He clutched her close and took a deep breath in, his ribcage expanding like a balloon to lift her with his breath.  Rey’s cute little sniffles and snorts made his heartbeat skip.

 

He tried to stay awake long enough to savor the pleasant feel of her on his chest, but his lids grew too heavy under her soothing spell.  He slipped into dreams with a smile on his face.

 

It was the best night’s sleep he could remember.  Not even the sexual debauchery of the porgs during their midnight bacchanal woke him that night.

 

+++

 

The distinctive sound of crinkling plastic woke him early the next morning.  His hands flew to his chest and found Rey missing with a sharp ache of loss. Ben rolled over on his side and craned his neck to look for her.

 

Rey stood in the back corner of the tent, nude, chewing on one of his bars.  She turned it over in her hands as she munched and crinkled her nose, apparently not liking the taste, but took another big bite anyway, chewing away enthusiastically.

 

The strength of the pure affection that simple action drew from him was unexpected.  Rey had no guile, no sheen of cool, and it was an incredibly attractive characteristic.  Ben’s cheeks began to hurt and when he lifted a hand he discovered he was grinning like a fool.  He couldn’t ever remember smiling to the point of _pain._  He may have pulled a muscle.

 

Rey dropped the empty wrapper at her feet and licked her fingers loudly.  She walked to another crate nearby. As she tipped forward over the side, Ben was presented again with her round, perfect ass in perfect display at close range.  His gaze zeroed in on it like staring at a slide in a microscope. He could just about map out her most intimate anatomy, to scale, in perfect detail. A rush of hormonal and primal lust washed over him in a torrent, like stepping under a waterfall.

 

Ben licked his lips.

 

Rey stood up again holding something.  His eyes drifted to her hands, and then he froze in terror, want shifting to fear.  She was holding the flare gun.

 

Rey turned it back and forth, curious, clearly not knowing it’s purpose or the potential danger.  She aimed it at her face and squinted as she looked down the barrel.

 

_No!_

 

Before he could form a word of warning, before he could even make a sound, Ben reacted.  He flew out of the cot and and grabbed the gun in one hand as his other arm snapped around her waist, yanking her away to separate her from the danger.  

 

Rey squealed in surprise and then kicked her feet on instinct.  Ben tossed the gun away before she could squeeze the trigger. Rey twisted and threw them both off balance as they tumbled to the ground.

 

“Rey, no!  Danger!” Ben said, trying to explain, as she rolled over onto all fours.  Rey wiggled and tried to crawl away, but he followed her and dragged her hips back to his, holding her fast.  He needed her to calm down and listen so he could explain.

 

“Stop, Rey!”  Ben boomed, the surprisingly deep voice returning.  “Calm down. It’s okay.”

 

Rey stilled, panting.  He panted over her shoulder, arms braced around hers.  In that position, their bodies fit almost perfectly together, like a set of nesting tables.

 

In the confined space of the tent, the sound of their mingled breaths was amplified.  He was fully-awake now. Ben was also aware of the obvious and pressing fact that he was wearing no pants and was crouched over a naked Omega.

 

He rocked that pressing matter against her ass.  Rey sighed as Ben groaned. The touch of her skin to his was both a balm and accelerant.

 

Ben closed his eyes at the welcoming heat of her body.  His full lips lowered to rest on the smooth skin of her shoulder.  The hot huff of air that frantically escaped from his pursed lips kicked up a cloud of her rich scent to swirl around them in the tent.  The Omega intoxication sunk him deeper into his animalistic hindbrain chorus of _mine, want, need, Rey, fuck, take, Rey, mine._ The chant looped through his mind, twisting through the sliver of space between his subconsciousness and logical thought, growing roots.

 

His cock pressed against the round globe of her ass in humble supplication as he started to kiss the tawny skin of her shoulder.  A tiny fading voice of reason cautioned him not to be reckless, but who could care about tiny voices when Rey was right _there,_ whining and ready, the hottest thing his mind could conjure and ripe for the plucking.

 

Rey exhaled quickly, impatient, as Ben held himself back, poised partway between the taking and the asking.  His control had been stripped down to a single, tenuous string.

 

 _“Behn,”_ Rey said, her voice firm and clear as she urged him on. _“Mine.”_

 

Still he didn’t move.  She slowly, achingly slowly, articulated through her spine to dome her back like a cat and press her back up into his chest, hot skin to hot skin.  As her spine curved, his hot, thick prick slotted perfectly between her damp thighs.

 

 _“Holy fucking Christ,”_ Ben uttered, and although he was firmly agnostic, he was horrified at the level of blasphemy that rolled off his tongue as natural as a prayer.  If only his mother could hear him right now.

 

The thought of his _mother_ was enough to temporarily shake some sense into his lust-addled brain.

 

He shook his head and snapped back on to his heels as he sat back from her.  He couldn’t take Rey, not like this, not when he couldn’t communicate with her fully to confirm what they both wanted and expected from this.  It wasn’t right. Reason screamed at him through the thick fog of desire, despite every cell in his body vehemently disagreeing.

 

Rey glared at him over her shoulder, apparently disagreeing with him, too.  “Behn! _Alpha_ ,” she purred, equal parts irate and seductive, like a dominatrix he’d disappointed.  Which, _fuck,_ who knew _that_ was something he was into.  File that away as another new discovery on Ahch-To.

 

He unlatched his palms begrudgingly from her hips to swipe across his face as if he could wipe away the conflict.  Torture. This was absolute torture, holding himself back from something so incredibly _good._ “Rey–”

 

But she shut him up and the words caught in his throat at the same moment she took his cock down hers.

 

Ben looked down between his thick thighs at her beautiful brown head as she slid him along her tongue.  His strangled moan sounded embarrassingly similar to the cries of the porgs he heard late at night. It was a bizarre form of solidarity that made him feel both self-conscious yet also complete somehow, as if he, Dr. Ben Solo, was also a part of the living force of the island, the give and take of sex, and birth, and death that connected all souls by secret filaments into a single web of life.

 

Or maybe he was just receiving the best head of his life.

 

His skin broke out in a full flush.  He cupped the side of Rey’s head as she began to bob up and down on his shaft, sucking and licking his throbbing length in an endearingly dedicated yet also sloppy fashion.  It was unbelievably hot, adorable, and incredibly effective, technique-wise. Her persistence and the little moans of pleasure she made pushed him right up to his edge and kept him teetering there.  He would perhaps explode, and he didn’t want to explode so soon.

 

Not when he hadn’t tasted her yet.

 

“Stop,” he ordered, and unlatched her carefully.  He drew Rey up to kneeling, hands still planted on the side of her head, and she held his chest.  Her lips were slick and pink, parted and a little puffy form his cock, and her sparkling eyes were half-lidded with need.  The little rosy blush on her cheeks made her freckles pop.

 

She was the most gorgeous creature he had ever seen.  

 

Ben leaned in and kissed her.  Lips and tongues met, tentatively at first, and then with casual familiarity that grew to ardent hunger.

 

Rey was delicious.  No, that was too weak of a word for her flavor.  Luscious. Decadent. Addictive. _Scrumptious._ He wasn’t sure how to precisely measure taste, but he was positive she was off the scale.  They’d need a new one. He would name the units of measurement _Reys._

 

“Mhmmm.”

 

Based on her sounds, she was happy with his taste, too.  There was no scrunching of noses as she kissed him back. She pressed her toned belly against him and his cock twitched, wet and happy. The sensation of her skin, her touch, her mouth, her smell, her Rey-ness, overwhelmed him to the point of lightheadedness.  He hoped he didn’t faint again. He most ardently did not want to miss a single moment of this.

 

“God, _Darling_ ,” Ben said.  Darling? _Darling._  What was becoming of him and his precision of thought and language?  He’d never called anyone darling. No one had even _been_ darling before Rey.

 

She may not speak English, but she still seemed to get the gist of it.  Rey planted her hands into his chest to push back and break free of his kiss.  She grinned at him, cheeky as all hell, looking loved up and victorious. He took in her gloat for half a second before diving to kiss a path along her jaw to behind her ear.  Her tinkling giggles tickled in his ears.

 

Her fingers knit into his hair and pulled tight to hold him in place.  “Behnn, Behnnnnnn,” she moaned. He groaned in answer.  He couldn’t take it anymore.  He needed her in his mouth. He stood up and scooped Rey up in his arms to place her on his bed, where she belonged.

 

Rey giggled and squirmed until he knelt down on the ground at the foot of the cot and planted his massive hands on her thighs to hold her still.  She looked at his hands, wrapped around her thighs, and her eyes grew as round as the perfect “oh” of her mouth. Her eyes snapped to his and darkened.  Her devilish look needed no translation.

 

“My turn,” Ben growled out, and spread her legs open.  His nostrils flared as he scented her arousal and leaned down to trace it to the sources.  Her fingers combed into the hair above his temples and as he opened his mouth she made a little, tiny coo of anticipation that made his heart leap.

 

His tongue touched her wet slit.  The reaction could only be described as nuclear.

 

Rey arched her back and gasped, her tight little tits reaching for the sky as her fingernails scraped his scalp.  Ben squeezed her thighs, holding her open, because the thought of losing her, like this, was inconceivable.  He traced her folds with tender licks and Rey rocked against him to meet his tongue, whining already. Each movement and murmur ratcheted the other up higher in a relay race of desire.

 

Ben closed his eyes against the blur of color and light as he drank her essence down.  She was in a chain reaction meltdown of Omega pheromones that drove them both wild. She started to move in tandem with his tongue as he opened her up for further exploration, delving and tasting, swirling in the places that made her tremble and buck under his mouth.

 

“Behnnn, Mine,” Rey cried, and started to wiggle away from him.  He growled and kept lapping at her until she pulled his hair again.

 

“Stahp!”

 

Ben stopped.  He looked up at her, chin dripping, and smacked his lips.  

 

“Mine!”  Rey said again, insistent.  She raised a brow as she panted.

 

He didn’t understand.  She slapped his hand and he growled then released her, as the higher brain functions in charge of language and reason came back on line.

 

“Mine!”  Rey repeated.  He stared at her dumbly.  Rey huffed and rolled her eyes, then grabbed his shoulders to yank him fully onto the cot.  He rolled onto his back. Oh. Maybe she was done now and wanted to go back to sleep?

 

Rey did not want to go back to sleep.  

 

She kicked a leg over to straddle his head as she dove forward to take his cock back into her mouth.  6 + 9.  It was a particular mathematical equation that Ben was not familiar with in the bedroom, but greatly wanted to solve with her.  He palmed her juicy ass and planted his mouth back on her as she sucked him down.

 

 _Oh.  Oh, God._  Ben saw literal stars.

 

With wet smacks and muffled cries, they came nearly in unison.  Ben’s leg shook as he exploded in her mouth and Rey had to nearly pry him off of her as he sucked her into completion.  She fell in a boneless mass of woman over him as he licked his lips greedily for every last drop.

 

He helped Rey crawl back to her rightful place on his chest.  She snuggled in as his heart and breath came back down to within normal parameters.

 

Rey nuzzled under his chin with little trill and he placed one hand behind her head and the other on  the delicate curve of her lower back.

 

As they fell back asleep, Ben felt a strange rumble in his chest.

 

He was purring.

 


	12. Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a transitional chapter, subtitled: "I do not think that word means what you think it means." :D
> 
> Thank you for your continued support of this story and your kind comments!
> 
> Check out this fabulous moodboard from the multi-talented @StarCrossReylo! Check her out on AO3, Tumblr and Twitter, she's a genius. :D

 

Ben was surprised how easy it was to unhook himself from time.  

 

He was a man who relied upon a schedule to tell him what he should be doing and when he should be doing it.  “Living in the moment” didn’t compute and typically gave him anxiety.  Yet, surprisingly, it was simple for him to let go of the concept of time as he knew it, as easy as jumping and trusting that gravity would take him back down to earth again.  

 

Ben fell into a more natural rhythm.  The rhythm of Rey.

 

Rey was not beholden to a clock or the construct of time.  She didn’t abide by the idea of “should.” If Rey was hungry, she ate.  If she was tired, she slept. If she wanted to touch him, or have him touch her, she looked at him with _those_ eyes and _that_ smile.  Or, alternatively, she just jumped him.  She was instinctive, powerful, and undeniable.  Rey was an ecosystem unto herself, her own natural kingdom, and Ben was just an inhabitant.  

 

Rey just was.

 

They sunk into a lust-filled haze in the tent, now ripe and nearly dripping with her pheromones.  They found ways to communicate even though they spoke few shared words.  She asked him questions with her body, and Ben’s answer was always _yes_ and _more, please, more_ and _oh God, right there, please._

 

As hard as it was, he held back from full intercourse, although it was getting hard to toe the line that he had drawn in the sand.  They sated each other in other ways, with mouths, and hands, and skin.  Minutes and hours blended together, and Ben felt unmoored, yet somehow at peace, despite his half-feverish state.  Rey took care of him in all the ways, feeding him, bringing him water, touching him.

 

Rey became his guiding principle, his working thesis, his brand-new sun.

 

It was beautiful.

 

+++

 

Dawn on the third day, and Ben heard a strange pinging sound from the back of the tent.  He yawned and stretched, careful not to dislodge Rey from his chest, where she slept clung to him like a very sexy barnacle.

 

The infernal pinging came at steady intervals.  He frowned, disturbed.  Ben was still achy and feverish, on the edge of chills, and the artificial sound threatened to kindle another flaming headache.  He felt the strong urge to silence it, to maintain the dark peace with Rey, to protect his den.

 

 _Den?_  No, tent.  Maybe he was sicker than he thought?

 

Rolling over very delicately, he deposited Rey on her side.  He curled around her, a giant shrimp around her small one, to ensure a safe landing.  Sniffing her hair, Rey huffed happily against his chest in her sleep.  Waves of what could only be called comfort rolled over him.  

 

How could someone smell like comfort?  It was ridiculous.  It sounded like the name of a dollar-store perfume.  Ben would not have thought such nonsense possible, if he had not been at that very moment holding his own tiny ball of comfort to his chest.

 

The pinging drew him back to the moment and he slowly, regretfully unpeeled his limbs from the cot to investigate.  He tracked the sound to the supply crate to discover the offending object: the satellite phone.  He had missed messages.

 

_Dr. Solo.  Will arrive at 0900 approximately.  Confirm. Poe._

_Dr. Solo.  Require anything beyond standard list?  Confirm. Poe._

_Dr. Solo.  Are you reading these?   Please confirm. Poe Dameron._

_Hello???  Are you there buddy?  I’m coming today. Poe._

 

 _Shit._  Ben tried to unscramble his brain and think.  What did he need?  He needed something.  He quickly typed into the keypad.

 

_Sorry for the delay!_

_If it’s not too late, I need more t-shirts.  Men’s tall, size large._

_Broad-range antibiotics._

_A blood draw kit._

 

If he was coming down with something, he should get it diagnosed by the university lab.  Just to be sure. Luckily, Rey had kept him hydrated . . .

 

Ben froze.  His stomach sank like an anchor with a sudden and terrifying realization.  He looked over to where Rey slept peacefully, her graceful back rising and falling with each breath.  

 

_Oh, no._

 

What if he was contagious?  What if he had gotten Rey sick, too?  She had no immunizations. Certainly a different set of bacteria and viruses existed on Ahch-To, and she wouldn’t have defenses against his imported ones.  Guilt and fear squirmed its way into his gut.

 

He was a fool.  It was supposed to take weeks, months even, for him to make first contact, and by that time any illness would have worked its way out of his system in isolation.  Instead, he had made contact much, much sooner.  Too soon.  A lot of contact.   _So very much_ contact.  

 

Ben raked through his fluffy hair.  How incredibly selfish and stupid had he been.  He’d never forgive himself if Rey got hurt. If she gave him something, that could be handled.  He had his shots and access to modern medicine, but Rey did not.  She was vulnerable.  Even worse, if she returned to the tribe she could carry something back and infect them all.

 

Oh, God.   _Shit.  Shit!_

 

Ben took a deep breathe to quell his panic and pounding heartbeat.  There was only one thing to be done: quarantine.  Seven to ten days was standard, nearly two weeks to be safe.  He’d keep her close by and would watch her like a hawk for any symptoms.  His own blood would be tested, so at least they would know a diagnosis and have medicine dropped early, if need be.  It was the only way to be sure, to keep her quarantined with him.  It was science.

 

He would protect Rey and the herd.  He had to, it was his job.  And if he just so happened to be secretly delighted for another excuse to keep her close to him, well, that was just a pleasantly unforeseen consequence.  Ben felt horrendous for putting her at risk, but he’d make it right.  He had to.

 

Now, to find a way to explain this to her.   

 

He texted Poe back one more time before shutting off the phone.

 

_Bring an extra med kit too, standard issue, just in case._

 

Better to be safe than sorry.

 

+++

 

Once he began hunting for his clothes, Ben realized he hadn’t worn any for the last few days.  That was an interesting footnote.

 

Ben walked through the tossed-over tent and finally found every article he owned thrown in a messy pile in the back corner.  Clean and dirty twisted together in a sort-of makeshift nest.  Rey must’ve squirreled them away while he was sleeping.  He crooked a grin at the image of her hoarding his clothes like nuts in preparation for winter.  Ben reached for his camera to document her handiwork, because it was both fascinating behavior for his study and also so darned cute.  Photos recorded, he gingerly picked out boxers, shorts and a navy t-shirt from the top of the pile so as to not destroy her work.

 

As his shirt drew down over his face, he got a whiff of her freshly-baked Omega.  She had scented his clothes to keep the rest of the herd away, he supposed. It made him feel a deep, throbbing kind of satisfaction from the inside out, as silly as it was.  It was a novel feeling to be wanted.

 

Ben kneeled down beside her and brushed a bare shoulder with his fingertips.  “Rey, wake up,” he said gently.

 

She turned over and a smile flew to her lips before her eyes even fluttered open.  She blinked up at him, her mossy-green eyes drowsy and shining.

 

“Hi,” he said.

 

Rey touched his jaw.  “Hi,” she parrotted.

 

His stomach flipped at her new word.  So clever, this girl.  “I have to go meet the helicopter.”

 

She cocked her head at him, clearly not comprehending.

 

“Helicopter.”  Ben raised his arm in a circle and mimicked the harsh sound.

 

Her eyebrows lifted in excitement as she figured out his meaning, but as he watched her expression rapidly fell like a curtain.  Her lower lip trembled and her eyes became glossy.

 

She was sad.  He made her sad.

 

Ben realized his mistake instantly.  The helicopter brought him to the island, so of course she thought it would take him away.  He shook his head quickly, pointing down to the ground. “No, no, I’m not leaving.  Ben stay.  Ben stay Ahch-To.” 

 

She drew back her hand, the betrayal evident in her eyes.  How to make her understand?  Ben stood up quickly and looked around.  He grabbed a protein bar and hurried back to her side, holding it up.  

 

“More food!  More bars.” He pointed up and twirled his hand.  “Helicopter brings more bars.” He pointed to himself.  “For Ben.” He lifted his brows and leaned in closer.  “Ben stay here.  Ahch-to.  My tent.  Mine.”  He pointed down. “Ben stay.”

 

She seemed to get it, exhaling a shuddering breath.  He didn't allow himself to think about the day when he would have to leave the island.  That was a year away, after all.

 

Now to get her to understand the next part, the quarantine.  “Rey stay.”  He pointed at her and then the ground.  “In Ben’s tent.” He pointed back and forth between them.  “Rey stay with Ben.”

 

Wide eyes stared back at him as she swallowed.  He nodded at her, willing her to grasp his meaning.  If not his words, then the look in his eyes.  He wasn’t sure she did, so he added other words she’d understand.

 

“Please, Rey?  Please stay Ben's tent?  Mine.   _Please?_ ”

 

She studied him, deciding, meeting his gaze with her own direct one.  She must’ve seen something that convinced her, because her manner changed.  The tension in her bones melted into something more rubbery.  She blinked a few times and a languid smile curled at the corner of her mouth.  

 

A sly little fox again.  “Rey stay Behn’s tent?” she asked.

 

The feeling of victory washed over him.  She understood.  “Yes!  Please stay here.”

 

“ _Please._  Stay,” she repeated, licking her lips.  “Behn.  Mine.”

 

He nodded fast and Rey squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck.  He squeezed her right back.  They were making so much progress!  Warm relaxation poured over him, like taking a shot of whiskey.  

 

“Okay.  Right back.  Rey stay.  Okay?”  He punctuated his words with hand gestures and nods, and she nodded back enthusiastically.

 

He stood to his full height and kissed her forehead.  Before he closed the tent flap, he stuck his head back one last time to look at her.  

 

Rey had rolled onto her side, a long, bare leg sliding up and down the other as her hand landed on her hip.  She looked like Eve in the garden, a natural Aphrodite.  Ben’s palm landed on his heart to make sure it was still beating.

 

“Ben right back,” he affirmed.

 

Rey grinned back at him.  

 

They were really getting somewhere.

 


	13. Supplies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, folks, the plot must progress! Some mysteries are coming to a head here and our friend Poe gets involved.
> 
> Have no fear, quarantine is coming. :D

It was another gorgeous day on the island to Ahch-To.  Not a speck of cloud marred the bright blue fabric of the heavens draping over Ben like a canopy.  The Atlantic ocean seemed bound and determined to outmatch the sky’s purity of hue as it glistened in its own rich azure.  The porgs hopped and squawked happily, temporarily sated by their nocturnal carnal shenanigans.

 

Ben was also sated from his nocturnal carnal shenanigans.  

 

He stood at the trailhead and exhaled out the stale tent air, thickly perfumed in Omega, as he stretched his long arms longer.  His chest expanded with a deep inhale of the fresh morning breeze, like a cup of coffee for the lungs.  _ Ahhh.   _ He felt a bit better now that he was outside walking again.  The sunlight and clean air were doing him some good. 

 

The winding path worked its way up to the landing pad where Ben would wait for Poe.  A new energy flowed through him as he set out on the climb, dare he even say, a bounce to his step.  His thick limbs felt loose and limber, finally the correct size for his body, which was a strange thing to say and an even stranger thing to feel.

 

He just felt right, somehow.  The corners of his mouth, usually set to a default of downturned, drew up slightly at the edges into what could be considered smile territory.   

 

Ben recognized what this was.  This was  _ sexergy.   _

 

It had been years since he’d last felt it, but it wasn’t easy to forget.  Sexergy, the primal life force that exuded from a man who had gotten off, and  _ gotten off well.   _ Women could also have sexergy, of course, but since Ben was a man, he could only describe his own empirical evidence.  Right now, he was absolutely _ oozing _ sexergy.  In fact, if Ben had an actual sex tank, he thought it may be full, or even that kind of overfull where the needle rises a bit above the highest mark–which, by the way,  technically shouldn’t even be possible, because how can you be fuller than full?

 

He sighed in contentment and let that thought slip away, thinking of Rey and smiling bigger.  

 

Ben was definitely overfull of sexergy.  

 

The staccato beats of the helicopter interrupted his thoughts as they ricocheted off the rocky ledges behind him, the loudest sound for miles around.  No wonder Rey had heard him and come running the first day, they might as well have announced his arrival with cannons. He was so attuned to the natural sounds and quiet of Ahch-To that the chopper was an assault.  Ben covered his large ears with his even larger hands and watched Poe gracefully begin his descent to the surface.

 

As soon as the chopper blades started to slow, Ben hunched over and approached the cockpit.

 

“Hello Doctor, glad to see you’re still alive!”  Poe exclaimed.

 

“Indeed.  Sorry for the radio silence.”

 

Poe hopped down and planted his hands on his hips, looking the part of jaunty explorer with his loose scarf flapping in the wind.  He measured Ben up and crinkled his brow, then leaned forward slightly. Ben watched Poe’s handsome nostrils twitch and he stiffened.

 

He was  _ smelling _ him.  The nerve!  Ben felt a flicker of hostility as unfamiliar dark thoughts clouded his forebrain.   _ Who did Poe think he was, coming to HIS island, scenting him?   He’ll show him who he’s dealing with . . . _

 

Poe’s lazy smile deepened to a full grin.  “No problem, Doc. Seems like you were busy.”  He raised a knowing eyebrow. 

 

Ben’s cheeks grew hot and he looked away.  He tamped down another flare of annoyance. He didn’t have to justify himself to Poe, he thought with a tinge of guilt.  Just get the goods and send him off, and get back to Rey. 

 

“Yes.  Well. Did you get my texts in time?”

 

“Sure did!  You got lucky, buddy, I even found your size shirt on base.”

 

Poe helped Ben unload the new crates of food and supplies.  They walked back to his campsite together with their arms full.

 

As they got closer and closer, Ben’s anxiety rose.  What if Poe frightened her away? What if she was outside, still gloriously bare?  Ben’s thoughts flopped from one to the other and twisted up in his mind.  __

 

_ Poe doesn’t have any right, she’s mine.  Threat. Keep him away. Mine, mine!  _

 

Ben couldn’t resist the urges any longer and stopped short in the middle of the trail, still yards away.  

 

“Actually, this is far enough.  Thanks, Poe.”

 

“You sure?  It’s no problem for–” 

 

“Yes, I’m sure.”

 

Poe look at him, perplexed.  “But I’m supposed to return the empty crates.  Really, I don’t mind–” He progressed a few steps forward, and Ben did the very last thing he would have expected.  

 

He growled.

 

Poe stopped instantly.  He looked back, surprised.  Ben gritted out the words as if they were pulled reluctantly from between his teeth.  “That’s far enough. You can get the crates next time.”

 

The silence hung between them.  Then Poe said slowly, “You okay, Doc?”

 

Ben approximated a smile, but it felt more like a grimace.  “Yes. Actually, no, I’m coming down with something. I need you take some blood back to the lab.  But I’m fine.” 

 

Poe eyed him curiously and then set the crate down.  He was amenable again as he sat down to tie his shoe.  “Whatever you say, Doc.”

 

Ben looked through his own crate for the medical kit.  He’d get a blood sample right now, right here, and send Poe on his way.  Poe looked around vaguely.

 

“So, you seen any of the gals yet?  I mean, besides the one.”

 

Ben glanced up, face stony.  Poe was grinning again, elbow hooked over a knee.  Ben ignored him and opened the blood test kit. 

 

“You don’t have to answer that, patient-client confidentiality or whatever.  Just wondering if they’re as hot as the rumors say.”

 

Ben’s blood ran cold.  “What rumors?”

 

“Oh, you know, local stuff.  That there’s an Amazon village or something like that, no men.  Officially it’s hush-hush. They don’t want guys showing up to–  _ take advantage,  _ if you will.”

 

Ben looked down sharply and set his jaw, bristling, as he pricked his finger to draw blood for the slide.  Not him, of course, he’d never do that. He felt guilty at the implication, but also furious that other men would.   

 

Poe continued cheerily.  “I knew a guy in the service from a nearby island, he said they were all hot.”

 

“How’d he know?”

 

“His mom was a caretaker.”

 

Ben’s eyes snapped up again.  “Caretaker?”

 

“Yeah, they support the gals.  Drop off food, supplies. They couldn’t make it on their own, it’s too desolate.”

 

Ben felt a wall of confusion that crumbled into anger.  It pooled low in his belly. “So people  _ knew _ about the tribe living here alone, and did  _ nothing? _ ”

 

Poe squinted.  “Well, not nothing.  Caretakers, remember?  But it’s been the culture forever.  How do you think they got here?”

 

Ben felt almost dizzy with the revelation that he had no clue what was actually going on.  “The village site, the island’s been inhabited for ages.”

 

“But how did  _ they _ get here in the first place?”  Poe looked bemused. “You don’t know a lot about this island, do you?”

 

Ben opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a high-pitched screeching.  It sounded like some poor creature was being skinned alive just around the corner.

 

He snapped his head in the direction of the tent.  No, it couldn’t be Rey. He had heard all manner of her cries– moans, coos, trills, and _that little breathless sigh she made when he kissed her on her–_ ahem _,_ no, it couldn’t be Rey, which could only mean that–

 

She was the one doing the flaying.

 

Ben dropped the kit and took off sprinting without another word, darting between boulders to make the most direct line back to the campsite.  His lungs, unused to activity after his daily exercises were neglected in favor of his “calisthenics” with Rey, started to burn, but that only pushed him to race faster.

 

When he rounded the last corner, he walked into bedlam. 

 

His campsite looked like a yard sale.

 

The ground was littered with the contents of his tent.  All manner of objects were currently being hurled outside in what appeared to be a haphazard fashion.  Canned goods flew through the air, followed by books, instruments, his chair, and one of his good hiking boots.  Then the sides of the tent shook with a flurry of limbs, looking like cats caught up in a sack, and with a high-pitched screech the little blonde Omega was tossed out in a heap, as if the tent had expectorated her.

 

She rolled to her feet and stood up, screetching like a porg set on fire, as Ben gaped in stunned immobility.  A few more cans flew by her head and she ducked. Then Rey stomped outside wearing his olive-green t-shirt and holding a small brunette by the back of her hair.  The brunette hollered irately and struggled until Rey tossed her out, too.

 

So, it was a raiding party caught red-handed.  Foiled by his feisty Omega tent-security system.

 

Rey picked up a rock and chucked it after them and broke into what could only be interpreted as a string of foul-mouthed expletives based on their offended expressions.  She stomped forward, bare legs spread and grounded in a fighting stance, her sharp chin jutted out defiantly.

 

She was ferocious, terrifying, and it was the hottest damn thing he had ever seen.

 

A red-haired Omega scurried from behind the tent to join the other raiders, and then the three interlopers started scooping up his stuff in their arms.  The blonde picked up his boot and it prompted Ben into motion, finally.

 

“No, hey, no– not the shoe!”  he waved his arms, shaking his head.  “Drop it, please.”

 

The three froze as their eyes grew wide as pie plates.  The typical Omega threat response was flight or freeze, followed by submission, and it looked the three fell into that instinct. 

 

Rey clearly hadn’t received the memo.

 

His sexy little outlier was all fight.  She picked up more rocks and chucked them at her Omega sisters, hitting the redhead square in the rump.  Redhead squeaked and dropped everything in her arms before turning tail and running. The brunette looked back and forth between the blonde and Rey, and then dumped everything but a can of chicken-noodle soup and fled.

 

Rey hissed and moved to the blonde, who threw the boot at her and then ran off in a different direction, yelling and holding a bag of crisps in her hands.  Ben didn’t like those chips anyway, no great loss.

 

The dust settled again and Rey stood panting at her place by the mouth of the tent, hands on her hip.  She turned to him and beamed proudly, puffing up her chest before her smile was quickly wiped from her face.

 

From behind him, Ben heard Poe exclaim, “Well, I’ll be damned.”

 


	14. Poe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot progresses... or just let Poe speak! :D
> 
> Thanks so much for your support and wonderful comments!
> 
> Thanks especially to the Reylo Fanfic Bookclub for selecting this as their Fic of the Week.  
> Check for their other weekly selections and join on discord for a friendly and supportive environment to read and share Reylo fanfic!
> 
> https://www.tumblr.com/search/reylofanficclub.
> 
> +++
> 
> If you like this, go check this wonderful fic by Andabatae right away! It’s like a sister fic to this one with another sexy researcher taming a beast on Ahch-To with sexy tent shenanigans. :D It’s absolutely fabulous!!! https://archiveofourown.org/works/19053454/chapters/45258604

Rey took another step back toward the mouth of the tent, glaring at Poe.  Her body curled forward in a defensive posture as her upper lip quivered in the makings of a snarl.  Ben was reminded of a cat with its hackles raised, preparing to hiss.

 

Then Rey hissed.

 

“Hoo boy, is this who’s been keeping you busy, Doc?”  Poe chuckled lightheartedly, unaffected by her agitation.  “Looks like you have a new pet.”

 

Ben’s blood began to boil.  Although she didn’t understand his words, Rey picked up enough of Poe’s meaning.  She coiled to strike. As she lunged, Ben jumped to meet her, lassoing her around the waist to hold her back.

 

“Spirited, too!”  Poe said from behind him.  He kept his gaze on Rey, watching the fear and ferocity dance across her face.  Deep instincts whispered to him–  _ mine, intruder, protect, soothe, MINE.   _

 

His many questions for Poe could wait.  Right now, he needed Poe off the island before either he or Rey did something regrettable.

 

“Poe, can you take back the blood kit and wait by the chopper?  Please?” He grunted as Rey made another attempt at freedom, hissing like a panther. 

 

“Sure, Doc, but don’t you think–”

 

Ben closed his eyes and swallowed the strong desire to wrap his hands around Poe’s scarf-clad neck as he held the squirming Omega tighter.

 

“Now, Poe.”

 

“Ok. I could grab those crates–”

 

Rey wiggled like an eel, much stronger than she looked.  In another minute she’d slip free, and Ben wasn’t sure who would need more protecting, her or Poe.  Things were about to get ugly up in here in the North Atlantic. 

 

_ “POE, get the fuck out of here!”   _ The voice that exploded out of his chest startled all three of them.  

 

For a tenuous moment, they all held in silent and shocked stillness.  The breeze blew across Ben’s face. The lone wail of a porg rose from the nearby meadow like a ribbon floating through the clear blue sky.

 

Poe spoke first, in a voice that was deep and contained none of his trademark joviality.   Ben turned and saw the pilot’s easy smile had disappeared. The sharp look in his eyes made Ben’s heart pump faster.

 

“Sure, Doc.  I’ll wait.” Poe turned heel and walked back up the trail.

 

He and Rey were blissfully alone again.

 

Ben carried her back into the tent.  Her muscles were tense and jumped under his hands, her body still primed for fight or flight.  He deposited her on the cot and held her upper arms to lean down and catch her attention.

 

Rey fumed.  Her eyes sparkled with fire as she set her jaw at him.  Ben thought there was no more precise definition of “spitfire” than the look on her face at that very moment.  He should take her photo and submit it to Wikipedia for consideration, it would save so many words. 

 

“Rey, it’s okay.  Calm down.” 

 

His voice was firm, but his hands were gentle.  Her agitation was winding him up, too, like a contagion of unease, and he needed to bring them both down again.  He sat next to her on the cot. Ben couldn’t use his words, those wouldn’t mean very much to her.

 

So he used his body.  That she understood.

 

Ben drew her squirming onto his lap, as much to restrain her as to caress her.  

 

“It’s okay.  You’re safe.”

 

She resisted for a moment and then dropped her forehead to his chest.  He felt her narrow back expand with a huge intake of breath, which she huffed out sharply on his collar bone.  It was like letting the air out of a balloon. She softened and her fisted hands opened and wrapped around his waist to nestle in deeper.

 

They sat there until their heartbeats slowed and came into rhythm.  The tension in her lean muscles faded away. Rey nuzzled into his neck and over the healing scratches on his chest.  She began rubbing her jawline on his as she trilled and hummed happily.

 

Ben’s scientific mind came online again.  He realized what she was doing. Rey was scenting him.

 

Scenting was a typical Omega behavior with a mate, used to reassure after a threat or separation.  It was also a manner of marking a mate. Omegas would mate during heat with males they accepted despite designation, but since they only properly mated with Alphas they only scented Alphas.

 

This was highly unusual behavior.  Ben was a beta, blood-tested and confirmed at birth.  Somehow Rey’s Alpha raydar– Alphadar?– was off. He’d never heard of this behavior before, it was a new discovery.  Also, highly pleasurable as a recipient from a purely sensation standpoint. His beta dick was quite flattered by the overture and he shifted her in his lap to accommodate himself around her juicy bottom.

 

He also felt a little pang of guilt.  If she was scenting him, then she had some ideas about this relationship between them.  Ideas that she couldn’t share because of their language barrier. He felt a growing suspicion that she understood far more about him than he did of her.  He’d already crossed so many boundaries between test subject and observer, he didn’t want to cross even more, not when it could hurt her.

 

The last thing Ben wanted in the entire world was to hurt her. 

 

He cupped her cheeks in his hands.  He couldn’t risk her being around Poe right now, but he couldn’t have her return to the others until he was sure she wasn’t sick.  But how to get her to understand the concept of a quarantine?

 

“Rey, please stay here.  Tent. Stay Ben’s tent. Okay?”

 

She blinked and smiled softly at him.  God, that face. He brushed the freckles on her cheekbone with his thumbs, as if rubbing them in deeper.

 

Ben couldn’t help himself, he kissed her lightly on the lips.

 

“Stay.  Here. Ben’s tent.  Mine.”

 

She blinked up at him.  He kissed her again. Maybe she understood?

 

“I want you to stay,” he murmured.  “I want you–”

 

“Wahnt.  Behn.” Rey repeated.

 

Ben nodded.   _ One more kiss, _ he thought as his lips brushed hers gently.  He couldn’t keep Poe waiting for long.  _ Just one more kiss.  _  Poe surely had some pre-flight checks to do.   _ Another kiss couldn’t hurt. _  Weather needed monitoring, certainly.   _ Just this last one.   _ He should really check over his flight plan.  For safety.  _  God, she tastes better than anything . . .   _

 

He finally pulled his mouth away from hers and planted a last peck on the pert tip of her nose.

 

“Rey.  Stay. Okay?”  He tried to sound firm.  At least one part of him was very, very firm.

 

Ben tucked her into his cot and zipped her in his sleeping bag as a final sign of what he wanted her to do.  He turned at the doorway, his palm lifted. 

 

“I’ll be right back.”

 

She smiled and he tied the flap closed behind him and went to go meet Poe.

 

+++

 

Poe had moved the crates closer to the campsite while he was away.  That was kind, or maybe it was just an appropriate outlet for his pent-up aggression after the stand-off.

 

That look in Poe’s eyes at the campsite– Ben had no doubt now.  Poe was an Alpha. Medicated on suppressants, as required by law, but definitely Alpha.  Which meant that his Beta outburst was an especially threatening gesture, even more so since Ben was physically larger.

 

Ben would need to keep his temper in check.  He needed to tread carefully around him.

 

He found Poe strapping down boxes in the cargo.

 

Ben put his hands in his pockets and slumped his shoulders forward in what he hoped was a non-aggressive manner.  He cleared his throat.

 

Poe glanced over his shoulder and gave him a tight-lipped smile.  Then he turned back.

 

“You’ll never believe it, but one of those Omegas raided the chopper while I was down at the campsite.  Stole my stash of Power Bars!” Poe scoffed. “They’re something else, aren’t they?”

 

He drew back to standing and cleaned off his hands on his pants.  “But I guess you know that already, Doc. That’s why you’re here.”

 

“I get the feeling that you know more about this island than I do.  They’ve been elusive.”

 

“Not by the smell of you, they haven’t.”  

 

Poe laughed, and Ben blushed.

 

“Well, except for her,” he muttered.

 

Poe leaned an elbow on the open seat and looked at the horizon.

 

“That’s the closest I’ve ever been to one.  I’ve lived in this area for seven years, and all I’ve heard are the rumors.”

 

Ben perked his substantial ears.  He acted casually interested as he recorded every word to memory.  As an introvert and observer, he had long ago learned the best technique to get a loud mouth to talk is to just stay quiet.  

 

“So a few years back, I was stationed on base with this guy, Jacobi, from Zakuul.  We carried tourists and oil execs to the local island chains. He mentioned his mom was a Caretaker, like I would know what that was.  I didn’t, so he told me about the legend of the Wild Women of Ahch-To.”

 

Ben licked his lips.

 

“Jacobi spun this tale about a local legend.  An island of super-hot Omegas that were so irresistible that men would go weak at the knees.  They had to be sent off to the island for their own protection.”

 

“Did you believe him?”  Ben asked.

 

Poe shrugged.  “Sounded ridiculous!  I mean, since the international accords, everybody’s been medicated on suppressants.  So what’s the danger? We haven’t had designation wars in decades.”

 

Ben shook his head.  Poe pushed off the copter and walked closer.  “But I guess it doesn’t really matter if the legend is true if the locals believe it.  So if they thought an Omega was too powerful when she presented, they sent her here. The local communities support them, but the rule is only Caretakers, who are women, are allowed on the island.”

 

Ben felt that same creeping sickness when he spotted the pregnant Omega.  “So they don’t reproduce. They’re put here.”

 

Poe nodded.

 

“But I saw a pregnant one,” Ben said, the nausea growing. 

 

Poe looked down.  “Well, some fellas hear of an island of super-hot, unmated Omegas, all of them going into their heats unassisted, and . . .” Poe didn’t need to finish.  

 

Not every man followed the rules.  Ben wished there were more walls on Ahch-To, so he could punch a hole in one.

 

He shook his head.  “And none of the locals thought this was cruel? To isolate the women like this?”

 

Poe shrugged again.  “I think it’s always been done that way, so they thought they’re protecting them.”

 

Ben thought of Rey, young and alone, being ripped from her home and dropped off on this rock in the middle of the Atlantic.  He clenched his fists and closed his eyes, counting down from ten before he punched the messenger in his square-faced jaw.

 

“Why didn’t anyone tell my research committee about this?”  Ben gritted out.

 

He opened his eyes to a sheepish-looking Poe.

 

“Nobody outside of the locals knows about it, and frankly this project is pumping tons of cash into the local economy.  Plus . . .” Poe cracked a sideways grin. “Nobody asked.”

 

Ben sighed.  “Okay. Well.  Thank you. Can you see that my blood sample makes it back to the lab?  I need it tested.”

 

“Will do!”

 

Ben nodded.  “Two weeks, then.”

 

Poe waved and Ben walked back to the campsite before he had even taken off.  His head was in a fog as he tried to fit in all the new pieces of information.  It was like the clouds were slowly blowing away from the island and he was seeing the actual shape of it for the first time.  He wasn’t sure he liked what he saw.

 

Ben found the open tent flap fluttering in the wind, and rushed inside.  His eyes popped open wide.

 

He ran outside and hollered, his voice echoing off the rocks.  

 

“Rey!”

 

She was gone.

 


	15. Bite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go. Don't freak out. :D Hope to update sooner rather than later, as I know this is a cliffhanger. 
> 
> Happy holidays, folks! Here's some "fireworks" for you in advance of "quarantine." Heh. Heh. 
> 
>  
> 
> P.S. You MUST read this wonderful sciencey fic set on Ahch-To by the amazing @Andabatae! It is sweet and so HOT!!! SO MUCH LOVE: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19053454/chapters/45258604
> 
>  
> 
> Check out this INCREDIBLE art by the uber-talented Clara Gemm! I adore her work so, so much. She captures emotion so beautifully. Check her out on Tumblr and Twitter, she is taking commissions!!!!

 

Rey was gone.  Ben spun around wildly, hoping to catch a glimpse of her– or his shirt, at least– on the rocky ledge above the campsite.  Just like his first day on the island, except this time no stone projectiles landed at his feet.  No sexy giggles echoed off of rock.

 

Nothing.  

 

He combed back his long locks from his face and sighed miserably.  Ben’s heart clenched like a fist in his chest. A faraway shrill cry of a porg was the only sound above that of his panicked breath.  It felt like an avian mockery.  

 

Ben’s mind flipped through the possibilities of where Rey went, and why. 

 

_Maybe Rey was spooked by Poe and ran away on her own._

_Or, she was disappointed in him as a protector and returned to the tribe._

_What if someone took Rey against her will?_

 

The last one was a punch in the gut.  The very possibility made him feel crazed.  Dr. Benjamin Solo, albeit quite large, made no habit of resorting to physical violence.  In fact, he hardly resorted to physical _anything_ if he could help it.  He was a man of the mind, not the body.

 

Yet as Ben stood in the sunlight on Ahch-To, he blinked back such a rage that it nearly clouded his vision.  His hands flexed in need of a neck to throttle. Poe’s words about the caretakers and island had ignited a slow, simmering rage that bubbled over into a steady, rolling boil.

 

How _dare_ they.

 

How _dare_ they isolate and control these women against their wills.  How _dare_ they make the Omegas vulnerable to any unethical sailor or blaggard to wash up and take advantage of their heats.  How _dare_ they do _anything_ that would separate Rey from him.

 

For unknown reasons, Ben ripped off his shirt and threw it to the ground.  His jaw clenched along with his two massive hands. All the anger and disgust in his substantial six-foot-three, two-hundred-and-five-pound frame converted itself into kinetic energy simultaneously. 

 

Ben ran.

 

He sprinted down the rocky trails leading to the smaller island.  Jumping over small boulders like hurdles, he flew to the edge to look down at the rough waters churning below.  No boats. No ships. Good. No one was stealing Rey away from him.

 

Ben shifted momentum, chest heaving, and began sprinting again.  He broke into a sweat as the hot sun beat down upon his pale chest.  He raced to the Omega crossing, hoping to find at least one pole resting on his side that he could use.

 

Was this a good idea?  No.  

Was he following research protocol?  Certainly not.  

Did Ben give two fucks?  Not even one.  

 

His only thought was to find Rey.  

 

She couldn’t go back to the tribe and possibly infect them with his germs.  He needed her. In quarantine, of course, for safety. Ben was fully prepared to leap across the gap between islands if so required.  He’d do anything to protect her.

 

As he rounded a bend near the end of the trail, he slid to a stop on the loose gravel.  He stood panting as his jaw dropped open in astonishment. What he found was so unexpected it didn’t even make his list of possibilities.  

 

It was Rey.  Looking unperturbed and quite peaceful.  She was picking small yellow and white wildflowers which she then twined into her hair.  

 

 _Flower picking?_  She disobeyed him, left the tent, and sent him into a frenzy of worry, for _flower picking?_

 

She bent over again and Ben got a very good look at her juiciest asset.  His heart pumped and his heat shifted further south.

 

“Rey!”  he yelled.

 

She stood and gave him a sweet smile with no trace of remorse.  Her eyes fell to his bare chest and then alighted back on his eyes.  Rey licked her lips devilishly as her eyes sparkled. 

 

Ben knew that look.  _“Rey . . .”_   he warned in a low tone. 

 

She understood, he could tell that much.  She just didn’t care. Rey turned to look over her shoulder at him.  Her wide grin widened, and she wiggled her ass a little. Ben heard the deep growl in his chest before he realized he was the one making it.

 

Rey giggled and took off running.

 

 _Shit._  

 

He chased after her.

 

Rey’s long brown hair whipped in the wind.  She was gorgeous, ripe and feisty, and the adrenaline from his anger and fear morphed into a heady cocktail of possessive lust. _Want, Need, Take, Mine, Mine, Mine . . ._ the strange voice grew louder and drowned out any other thoughts.

 

Rey squealed and darted around boulders, weaving down the trail, quicker and smaller than him.  Ben’s heart galloped in his chest from the thrill of the chase and the surety of what he’d do when he caught her.  Electricity coursed through his veins with every pump of blood. Ben never felt so alive. He was on fire, as if he tapped into some elemental energy from the island itself.  It pushed him to move even faster.  

 

They hit a clearing.  Rey’s long hair waved behind her like a flag.  She smiled over her shoulder with wild eyes, both a challenge and an invitation.  The deep need screamed from within for him touch her, have her, _claim her._   It fueled him as Ben surged forward and scooped Rey up around her trim waist.

 

Rey kicked and squealed, wiggling in his arms.  Ben growled and held her tighter to his bare chest as he nuzzled into her hair.  He huffed and felt his growl melt into deep guttural purrs. She softened in his arms and lay her head back on his shoulder as he soothed them both.

 

Rey reached a hand up to cup his jaw softly.  With a toss of her hair, she exposed her throat and looked up with expectant eyes, bright with yearning.  It was a strange deja vu– like his dream come to life, both a comfort and an inevitability. Drawn down by a deep instinct he didn’t understand, Ben traced his nose under her jaw.  He scented her arousal rising like smoke off her mating gland as his hot breath hit her skin.  

 

The urge to taste her was overwhelming.  _Take, Claim, Mine._ Answering that strange need, he latched his mouth onto her skin.  They both moaned as he began to suck. He ground his hips into her firm ass and she pressed against him.  They lowered down to their knees in the soft grass of the clearing.

 

Rey’s palm curled around the back of Ben’s neck and stroked.  She arched her back with a whine to offer up her ass along with her throat.  His lips didn’t leave her gland, sucking and laving at her sweet skin. Her taste burst in his mouth– rich and sweet, addictive and luscious– and Ben grabbed her hips to work her juicy ass up and down his length still strapped in his shorts.  

 

“Alpha, mine,” Rey whined. _“Please, Behn.”_

 

Ben groaned, mindless with lust, and started nipping at the skin of her gland.  She cried out and shivered as waves of pleasure rolled over both of them. He held her firm– she wouldn’t slip away from him again.

 

Everything seemed so clear in the bright midday sun, with the breeze ruffling their hair and knees wet with dirt.  The smell of life and vitality, and Rey’s sweet taste on his tongue, was all so perfect. It was meant to be. Ben knew then he’d never let her go.  Rey was his, and he was undoubtedly hers. Not nature, nor man, nor any known force or arbitrary law could keep them apart now.

 

This was destiny.

 

He knew what he had to do.  His hands slipped up under Rey’s shirt _(his shirt)_ and he cupped her breasts hungrily.  Rey gasped and her back arched more as her eyelids fluttered. 

 

 _“Mine,”_ he gritted out, his voice a command that could only be obeyed by both of them.

 

With that, Dr. Benjamin Solo, a genetically-born and confirmed Beta, bit into Rey’s mating gland with a snarl as he cupped her tits to hold her against him.  She cried out in pleasure and bucked her hips against him as he broke the skin. Ben’s eyes drifted shut in ecstasy as her flavor exploded into his mouth. He lost himself entirely in the sensation of Rey, warm and welcoming, as he marked her under the bright sunlight of Ahch-To.

 

After a few blissful moments, Ben lapped up the mark as a good Alpha would.  His years of research took a backseat behind the percolating foreign urges that told him what to do next.  He didn’t think, he obeyed.  When he finally unlatched from her, Rey eased down to the ground in a soft, beautiful mess, and he rolled her gently onto her back and bent over her.

 

Rey smiled up at him, love-drunk and drowsy.  She opened her arms to welcome him. He stripped off the shirt, _their shirt_ now, annoyed that anything would come between them.  He covered her body with his own, hot skin on hot skin, and lapped at his mark as he rocked his hips between hers.

 

Rey’s fingers tugged insistently in his hair.  She finally succeeded in pulling him off her to cup his face.  Bright, mossy eyes searched his. The freckles across the apples of her cheeks rose with her blush.

 

“Behn.  Mine,” Rey said, smiling.  She kissed him on the lips.  He closed his eyes to lean into her.

 

Rey turned his jaw to the side and tugged him down closer.  Then she lurched forward suddenly and bit him hard. Ben jerked and then relaxed as she latched onto his neck, over the place where his mating gland would be if he were an Alpha.

 

She bit down harder, fierce teeth breaking the skin.  It was like closing a circuit.

 

Ben jolted as electricity shot through him.  Fireworks exploded behind his lids in a rush of color and intensity.  His hips thrust against hers and he climaxed in his pants at the rush of pleasure, a mirror of the twitches she made when he marked her.  Ben groaned as Rey started to suck on the mark, lapping away at him as she trilled her satisfaction.

 

Rey rocked her hips against his to help him come back to awareness.  When she finally released him, her head dropped back on the pillow of the earth and she smacked her lips with a lazy smile.  

 

Her finger traced his jawline in a tender gesture.  Ben sighed.  

 

“Finally, Behn,” Rey said, in perfectly clear English.  “I’ve been waiting for so long, mate.”

  
  



	16. Shift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your support and patience with this story as it unfolds! Alternate chapter title is: "WHAT?" after all your great comments on the last one.
> 
> I hope this chapter will explain a lot, but if not, I'll pop into comments to help. We still don't know WHY Ben is an Alpha now, but we will find out soon. You guys have been guessing pieces of this puzzle since chapter 2, so go with your gut!
> 
> Next couple chapters: the fuckening.

Dr. Ben Solo knew it was not actually possible to feel the rotation of the Earth.  The laws of physics and orbital dynamics were very clear on this point. It was science.

 

Yet, the first time he understood Rey, _truly_ understood her, Ben could’ve sworn he felt the Earth move.

 

His hips were still cradled snugly between her bare thighs.  Ben gripped the soil on either side of her lovely face, just in case it decided to shift again, and stared into her mossy-green eyes.  His expression must have betrayed his utter astonishment, because Rey gave him a kind and patient smile. The type of look you’d give a child, or perhaps a lost dog.  She stroked his cheekbone with her thumb.  

 

“Oh, my poor, sweet Alpha.  So big. So _strong_.  But always so confused.  Don’t worry, you have me now.  I’ll take care of you.”

 

Ben gaped at her.  His swirling thoughts finally solidified into a single utterance.

 

“What?”

 

Rey froze.  Her own eyes widened.  “What?”

 

“You–you speak English?!”  Ben blurted out.  

 

Rey’s eyebrows crinkled.  “What’s English?”

 

Ben sat back on his heels, thighs spread wide, because suddenly hands were necessary to properly articulate his bafflement.  “You’re speaking English right now!”  Each word was followed by a massive air chop as his voice rose.

 

Rey’s brow pinched.  “No, I’m not!  You’re speaking Omega!”  She sat up, grimacing when she disturbed the fresh mating bite. 

 

Bite.  He bit her.  Then he sucked on it.   _Jesus._ That shouldn’t even possible between a Beta and an Omega.  Ben groaned and combed his fingers through his hair.  What the hell was happening to him?

 

Dr. Benjamin Solo had arrived less than a month ago, assured of who he was and his purpose.  He was an academic, a man of reason and logic.  Now look at him– running around the island half-naked and growling, rutting against an innocent research subject and then _biting her,_ like some kind of lunatic.  It was a lot to take in.

 

Too much, in fact.  Ben needed a moment.

 

Rey gave it to him.  She studied him as the silence between them stretched.  The air was perfumed with saltwater spray, and Ben closed his eyes and took a deep inhale.  The distant roar of the whitecaps rolling into shore ebbed and flowed like a sigh.

 

He felt her warm hands press into his thighs.  He opened his eyes to find her close, very close, staring at him with a look of understanding.

 

Ben’s gaze dropped, but that was a dangerous proposition.  Her perfect, rosy nipples were mere inches away, so very close to his mouth, as they sprung alert from her creamy, soft breasts.  Freckles sprinkled across her tanned skin, like tiny invitations for a taste.  Ben blinked and licked his lips, then dragged his eyes back up to her face. 

 

“You hear English?”  Rey asked softly.

 

Ben nodded.

 

“I hear Omega.”  She gave him a crooked smile.  “It must be the bite.  We’ve bonded.”

 

Always the clever one, this girl.

 

“I’ve never heard of this happening before,” Ben muttered.  His mind felt as churned as the rough seas below the cliff, and the strange urges to possess and protect still flowed through his veins.

 

Rey raised her brows.  “Why would you?  It’s nobody’s business but the mated pair.”  

 

“I’ve never read of it in the scientific literature,” Ben clarified.

 

Rey cocked her head.  “What’s scientific?”

 

It struck him hard.  Of course she wouldn’t know what science was.  How could she, kept isolated on this rock?  She probably had no idea why he was even there.  They were worlds apart.  It was a sobering thought, and also angered him anew to think Rey was denied anything.  His fists clenched.  

 

A sudden loud screeching pierced the air.  Both Ben and Rey turned to look across the gap between the islands.  They were met by a remarkable sight.

 

The entire Omega village seemed to be lined up along the cliffside.  They stared at Ben and Rey with a palpable combination of disgust and anger.  The tall blonde leader shrieked again– clearly a battle cry.

 

Then every last Omega began hurling small stones across the gap directly at them.

 

_Shit._

 

Rey scrambled up to standing first, fully-nude and furious, positioning her perfect derriere at his eye-level.  One ridiculous thought popped into his head– _yup, definitively a mathematically perfect ass_ – but he tamped it down and lumbered up to standing.

 

The volley of stones seemed more intended to scare and separate them rather than inflict true harm.  Ben moved to block Rey, a much larger target to draw their fire, and a stone grazed his arm. He flinched.

 

Rey darted out with a look of absolute murder on her face.  “Holdo!  Cut it the fuck out!  Now!” she hollered. The rock hailstorm continued as they bobbed and weaved to avoid it.

 

Although Ben would never put money against Rey in a fight, he did the obvious arithmetic.  One very pissed-off Rey versus more than thirty well-armed Omegas.  

 

Time to go.  

 

Ben grabbed his shirt off the ground and then threw a hissing Rey over his shoulder.  She kicked like a hellcat to get loose as he turned tail to run back to camp.

 

A sharp stone hit him on the ass, and Ben yelped and jerked.  Rey pushed against his back to lift up and yell, “You touch my mate again, and I’ll rip your hair out piece by piece!  You nasty bitches!”

 

The tribe roared back incoherently, but Ben kept running.  So much for his thoughtful and deliberate introduction to the herd.

 

+++

 

Rey cursed like a petite sailor the entire way home.  Ben kept her slung over his shoulder for safe-keeping, not fully convinced that his hot little hothead wasn’t going to run right back to make good on her ass-kicking promises.

 

He didn’t know whether to be more shocked or proud of the string of profanity flowing on his behalf.  Truth be told, her litany of bellicose threats was a somewhat sensual experience.  A gorgeous woman, willing to draw blood for him?  What a wonder.  

 

Rey’s feet did not touch the ground again until he stomped into the tent and plunked her down on the cot.  She huffed out an irate breath and blew an errant strand of hair from her eyes.

 

“Now,” he said, hands planted on his hips.  “We need to talk.”

 

Her breath settled down slowly.

 

“Why did they attack us?”

 

“To scare you away.”

 

“Why?”  Ben asked.

 

“Men are trouble.”  She smiled a little at that, the little minx.  “Men are bad.”

 

That hurt a little.  “I’m not bad.  Did you tell them that?”

 

She shrugged and glanced away.  Her body language grew coy.

 

“ _Rey,_ did you tell them I wasn’t bad?”

 

She looked back fiercely.  “I told them you were _mine._ To keep away.  That we were promised.”  She glowered. “Especially that greedy bitch, Kaydel.”

 

Ben crossed his arms.  He watched her eyes draw to his biceps as they flexed.  His chest puffed up a little at that, and her eyes danced across his skin.  A blush of pride rose from her appreciation, but he cleared his throat.   _Focus._

 

“Promised?  What does that mean?”  
  


Rey lifted her chin.  “We went through the rituals.  Exchanged clothes.  Fed each other.”  She grinned. “Bed sharing.  And everyone knows what ‘mine’ means.”

 

Oh, wow.  Yes, he did do all that.  Of course.  It made perfect sense when she explained it that way.  It was also very clear he was a complete idiot to not realize before now what messages he was sending her.

 

Ben scratched the back of his neck.  “But if the tribe knows we’re promised, why did they attack?”

 

“It’s against the rules.  Mating is not allowed.”  She smirked.  “We shun men.  No Omega has mated in a long time.”  

 

“But you–”

 

She jut her chin out fiercely.  “I don’t care about rules.  I wanted you.”  Rey smirked and leaned back onto her elbows and crossed her long, lean legs at the ankles.  

 

Ben decided that trying to talk to Rey while she was bare-ass naked was not a particularly wise decision.  Her perky tits rose and fell with each breath, mesmerizing him with her trembling peaks. His own breath had slowed but his heartbeat kept right on pounding.

 

Rey caught him looking and her smile turned sly.  She showed no shame at all in holding still as Ben’s wandering gaze coursed down her body.  The sparkling excitement in her eyes told him she knew precisely what she was doing to him.

 

Vixen.  They were mated now.  Rey was his vixen.

 

Ben chewed on the inside of his cheek.  Processing the complete realignment of everything he believed to be true would take some time.  

 

“Do you want some water?”

 

“Yes, Alpha.”

 

Ben moved and retrieved the canteen.  He handed it over and wiped his face with a hand.  

 

“I’m not an Alpha,” he corrected.

 

She snorted and swallowed.  “What a dumb thing to say.”

 

He frowned.  “I was genetically tested at birth, like everyone is.  Beta.”

 

Rey’s eyes narrowed as she puzzled him out.  She stood and stepped up to him.

 

“I don’t know what any of that means.”  Rey gripped his shoulders and lifted on tiptoes to sniff his neck.  “You smell like an Alpha.”

 

She opened her mouth and licked a slow, thick stripe across the fresh bite mark.  A shiver rippled up his spine and with it a wave of pleasure. Her fingers dug into his shoulders to hold him steady.  

 

“You taste like Alpha,” she nearly purred.

 

Rey nuzzled under his jaw.  His lips parted as his breath came fast.  “You yell commands like an Alpha.” She kissed the bite mark lightly.  Ben groaned and his cock throbbed in his shorts. “And I can only mate an Alpha.”  

 

Her fingers dripped like honey down his chest and landed on his waistband.

 

“But there’s only one way to be sure.”  Rey looked up at him, her eyes clouded with lust.  She scraped her full lower lip between her teeth.  “Knot me like an Alpha.”  She began unfastening his shorts.

 

_Oh, fuck._

 

Ben would have swayed on his feet if she hadn’t been holding him steady.  As her fingers worked, his cock rose eagerly to the invitation.

 

Wait, they were doing something here, weren’t they?  Talking.  That’s it.  There was talking to be done.  Words that needed to be said, and–

 

He held her hands to stop her.  “Rey, wait, um, we must talk–”

 

“No talk.  Knot.”  Nimble fingers kept going.

 

Ben groaned.  “No, I need to make sure you understand.  Consent–”

 

She looked at him.  “Explain that word.”

 

“It means you agree.  To have sex.  Understanding what it is.”  

 

No translation was needed for her look.  She thought he was a fool.  She snorted.  “Behn, are you talking about fucking?”

 

He gulped and nodded.

 

“I’ve been trying to get you to fuck me  _for days_ , mate.”

 

Relief and desire flooded his veins simultaneously.  His cock was more than happy to oblige her, already hot and thick, struggling for freedom against his fly.  Rey massaged him while undoing his pants.  “I’ve had you in my mouth.  Rubbing between my legs.  I know what this does, silly.”

 

“I just, I don’t want to take advantage, and I–”

 

She gripped his shaft, and he exhaled sharply.  “Behn. You mated me.”

 

He blinked and nodded, a bit guiltily.

 

“I wanted you to.  I mated you back.”

 

He licked his lips.

 

She smiled wickedly.  “We want this.  Our bodies know what to do.  So shut up, please?”

 

He nodded again, rapt, as Rey unzipped his fly.  His cock nearly leapt into her waiting hands.  

 

The roar of confusion, of ethical considerations and propriety, of doubt, that had swirled in his brain all these days suddenly fell silent, just as Rey had commanded.

 

Rey had him, most literally, in the palm of her hands.

 

Let the quarantine begin.


	17. Knot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I may edit this some more, but after 3K words of smut, the mind can only take so much.
> 
> Enjoy my darlings and thanks for your patience. 
> 
> :D

Dr. Ben Solo had plans for his life.  So many plans. In fact, he even had plans for how he would make _those_ plans.  He was systematic, deliberate, and nothing if not well-considered as he checked off all the right boxes: 

 

Undergrad in an Ivy-League school.  _Check._

Master’s in Biology at a prestigious school on the West Coast.  _Check._

PhD in Behavioral Research on the other coast, just to make sure he had all his bases (and coasts) covered. _Check._

 

His academic career– in other words, his life, because they were one and the same– was the result of meticulous plotting and control.  Like setting the table for a formal dinner– _silver salad fork there, bone china plate here–_ he methodically placed each item on his resume’.  The final touch, the centerpiece of it all, was this highly-coveted project on Ahch-To.  All Dr. Solo had left to do was to stand back and admire everything falling perfectly into place.

 

Then came Rey, firecracker agent of chaos.  

 

With her twinkling hazel eyes and an ass that downright refused to quit, she took one look at all his elaborate preparations, giggled, and swept them to the floor gleefully.  Probably to make room on the table for them to fuck.  

 

Dr. Solo should really be dismayed by this turn of events, but at the moment Rey was cupping his raging hard-on in her very capable hands, which made coherent thought unmanageable.  Rey, however, had absolutely no issues managing _him_.  She stroked and pulled with authority, and his dick obediently grew heavier and hotter with every tug.  

 

“Big Alpha.   _Strong_ Alpha,” she said in a husky voice.

 

Ben couldn’t deny his ego was inflating along with his nether regions at the praise, but he still felt the need to correct her.  He had no knots to give. The mandatory designation test at birth was infallible. 

 

“Rey, I’m a Beta.”

 

“Strong, but dumb.”  She giggled. “Good thing you have me now, mate.  I can do the thinking.”

 

Quite cocky and bossy for an Omega.  That should bother him a lot more, he thought.  “Rey,” Ben croaked out, swaying slightly on his feet.  She knelt down on the floor of the tent with a naughty little smile.  Because of their height difference, her perky, pretty tits were on display for him and her lips were aligned at the precise level of his–

 

“ _Ahhh,”_ Ben exhaled heavily as a gust of cool air blew from her pursed lips to his flushed skin.  Rey’s pheromones spiked and clouded in the enclosed air of the tent, her arousal a heady perfume of freshly-baked, ripe Omega.  He could smell her, almost even taste her. Her scent was as mouth-watering as a fresh apple pie set on an open windowsill to cool, and made him just as hungry.  Ben licked his lips.

 

“Alpha’s ready,” Rey cooed, blowing again.  Her gaze locked on his, and _goddamn,_ if those damsel doe-eyes didn’t make his cock twitch and jump in her fingers.  It wasn’t the type of blow job Ben typically considered a turn-on, but coming from her it felt like a fresh ocean breeze on a hot summer’s day.  Sweet relief.

 

Rey turned her attention to his shorts with a look of intense concentration befitting a gymnast preparing a run to the vault.  With a few quick tugs, she shoved them down his thick thighs and out of her way. Her scowl only deepened at the sight of his briefs.  For someone whose favorite pastime seemed to be commandeering his clothes, she certainly looked like she despised them. The space between her brows scrunched together in captivating annoyance.  Ben wanted nothing more than to feel that texture between his lips, to smooth it down with a kiss.  

 

Rey looked up at him.  _“_ Why do you wear so many shorts?” she huffed.  “Seems stupid. Unnecessary.”

 

He had to agree.  Around her, any amount of clothes could be considered unnecessary.  

 

“For, uh, protection?” Ben said.

 

She seemed unconvinced and reclaimed his cock in her palms.  She smirked. “That’s my job now.”

 

With a yank, she made quick work of the offending briefs, and he kicked them away.  Ben stood naked as the day he was born, to her immediate satisfaction. Her fingers curled around his shaft and began squeezing and stroking in a possessive manner.  There was no sign of hesitation in her firm grasp.  

 

She was a woman who knew what she wanted.  Yet as a Beta, he really couldn’t give it to her. 

 

“Rey, um, I don’t want to disappoint you–” 

 

Her fingers began twirling at an increasing speed.  She blew on him again and his eyelids fluttered. Looking down at her quick hands, he was bizarrely reminded of the tilt-a-whirl on the boardwalk at the beach of his childhood.  Was the light flickering too, or was all the blood rushing from his head?

 

“Shhh,” Rey said, licking her lips.  “No more talking, Behn.  Just doing.”  A pearly drop formed on the tip, and she licked it off.  He realized words wouldn’t be a problem anymore.  

 

“Ffffuck,” he muttered as his fingertips flew to cup her jaw.  A few swipes of her tongue along the head, and a sound escaped his lips that approximated that of water hitting a hot griddle.  It felt so different than before, amplified somehow. Was it the mating bite? Why was this heightened state not included in the literature?

 

Rey palmed him and licked a strip up the underside from root to tip, and he may have even whimpered.  Rey worked her way around his cock like she was marking her territory with her tongue. _“Jesus, Mary and Joseph,”_ Ben whispered.  That egregious blasphemy just barely described how intensely incredible it felt to have her wet tongue on his scorched, sensitive skin.  

 

Rey stopped and narrowed her eyes.  “Who’re they?”

 

“Ehh,” Ben said, the necessary words needed for explanation lost in a mental chorus of _oh please– don’t stop now– more!_

 

“Well, whoever they are, they can fuck off.  You’re my mate. _”_ Her fingers latched on and held possessively to his cock, and his hips bucked on their own.  “ _Mine._ Or I’ll kick their asses even worse than Kaydel.”

 

Ben nodded readily in agreement.  Rey nodded firmly back, the matter settled.  Then she opened her mouth and took him down her throat in one long swallow, nearly down to the hilt, and began to suck.

 

_Oh.My.God._

 

One time in grad school, Ben got into a heated debate with a developmental psychology PhD candidate on the nature of pleasure and pain.  The disagreement centered around whether subjective feelings could ever be measured on a consistent scale or were instead matters of interpretation.  The psych major contended that brain waves could one day be measured precisely on a standard scale of pleasure, but Ben argued against it.

 

Now he knew for certain he was right.  Because whatever prior scale he used to measure ecstasy was just obliterated by Rey’s hot little mouth.  This was not just “seeing stars,” this was supernova-level pleasure.  Ben growled and his fingers slipped into her hair as he stared down at her in amazement.

 

Rey moaned with a mouth full of his cock.  As if that image alone wasn’t fucking hot enough, the vibration in her throat almost tipped him over.  Ben growled louder when she began pulling back and sliding forward down his shaft. Pumping slowly, his hips matched her pace as he gritted his teeth to resist the urge to slam into her.

 

Fuck.  _Fuck._ Nothing felt like this before.  This was like sex in stereo.

 

His eyelids drifted closed to focus on the sensation.  Touch, smell, taste, they were all Rey. The slide moved faster as he grew slippier with her spit and his pre-come.  With each drag in and out, he felt himself thickening even more. A strange heat settled low in his gut and burned with each stroke.

 

Ben’s eyes opened and locked onto her.  Rey’s arms were wrapped around his legs to hold herself steady.  She whimpered along with his thrusts and rocked her hips in time, mirroring him.  Perhaps his pleasure was bleeding through the nascent bond already. He could smell her slick, a sweet and musky aroma, and it only made him harder.  Ben’s gaze fixed on Rey’s red-pink lips wrapped around his shaft, stretching obscenely to contain his girth. She wasn’t taking him as deep as before, he noticed, almost as if something was obstructing . . . no. 

 

Not possible. Something was there at the base– something _new._

 

Ben blinked and studied the geography of his body.  Blooming from the dark curls of hair was a mushroomed bulge.  It was flushed and throbbing.  He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

 

Well, hot damn.  Rey was right.  She made him pop a knot, an actual knot.  His eyes grew in equal measure to the foreign shape of his very familiar organ.  The scientific and personal implications of this revelation were dizzying and he swayed on his feet.  Switching designations was an unheard of phenomenon, a paradigm-shifting discovery.  His whole identity was that of a Beta scientist, and this was a monumental challenge to his self-perception.  Yet the pure shock and intellectual curiosity of the situation were immediately swamped under a tidal wave of emotion.  

 

Lust, it was pure fiery lust. 

 

Ben was an Alpha now, somehow.  Time to act like one.

 

 _“Off,”_ he ordered gruffly.  This was Alpha voice, and Rey obeyed eagerly.  Separated from her mouth, the heat coiling in his gut grew unbearable.  It was leading him to her, because she was the only cure.  They both knew it. 

 

Ben lifted her to standing quickly.  Rey looked up with wide eyes, studying his face with a flash of worry.  Instinct told him what she needed to hear.

 

“Good Omega,” he said, kissing her forehead tenderly, “my good little mate.”  

 

Rey softened and leaned into him.  Ben nuzzled down her neck until he found the mating bite and gave it a soft kiss.  Rey trilled and then gasped when he latched on and worked the mark between his lips.  She melted further and his arms wrapped around her back to hold her steady.

 

His prick was sandwiched between them, a stiff reminder of what they each needed.  The urgent heat flared again and he pressed into her. Ben found her ear.

 

“Now lay down like a good girl and give me that ass.”  

 

Rey shivered against him.  He helped her turn around and draped her over the cot, legs hanging down and juicy side up.  Ben knelt down and traced her curves with his fingers.  Seeing her laid out for him, like this, he had to swallow the urge to plow right into her.  He fisted his hands in self-restraint. This was her first time– _Control, Ben._  

 

Her inner thighs were shiny and coated in slick.  It was too tempting– he just had to have a taste– so he licked her creamy inner thigh.  Sweet and earthy, it was pure Omega essence on his tongue, the familiar flavor of Rey. He wanted to lap at her, swallow her down, but there wasn’t any time for that now.  She wiggled and squirmed, antsy, her soft little cunt was pink and swollen.

 

Ripe for the picking. Two fingers traced her sticky slit.  “Alpha, _Alpha_ please,” she moaned, arching her back to present for him.  Rey needed this as much as he did.  

 

He pressed his fingers inside and she released what sounded like a slow howl.  Pumping in and out, Ben palmed his own cock and rubbed the head along her wet heat, prepping them both.  Rey arched her back in invitation, and that was it.

 

“You ready, mate?” Ben asked, voice stretched thin with want.

 

“Fuck yeah, Alpha!” Rey cried out.

 

“Hold on tight.”

 

Her fingers wrapped around the frame of the cot across from her.  Ben stroked up and down her slit, digging his tip in deeper each time before aligning dead center.  He pushed his hips forward and drove in slowly but relentlessly, like the tide, until he met with some resistance.  He began rocking slowly in place.

 

Rey tensed, but he kissed the bite mark and she relaxed again.  Ben stroked her back with his thumbs, only halfway deep.  

 

Rey whined, “More. _Please,_ more.”

 

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Ben said.  He pushed in deeper and she moaned.  The round, firm cheeks of her ass lifted up when she arched her back again and he grabbed a handful.  His eyes couldn't leave the place where he sunk into her.  

 

She panted and started to move against him, urging him on.  “Hurt me a little!” Rey ordered.  

 

There was only one way forward.  His rocking became more insistent, like knocking on a door, until finally he pushed through.  Rey gasped as he steadily seated himself up to the very edge of the knot.  Ben held still, trembling from restraint, and palmed her ass.  The sensation of being buried inside her was both soothing and infuriating, because he both desperately needed to move but also felt so happy he could cry.  

 

His breath came out haggard as he fought for control.  Alpha voice wasn’t whispering to him, it was practically yelling in his blood to _take, take, take what was his_.  Ben exhaled and looked down at Rey, so beautiful and open, taking him in so perfectly to her wet, welcoming body.

 

Rey was clenching around him, finding herself as she slowly relaxed and adjusted.  Then she started moving.  Ben had to close his eyes for a moment, because the sight of that scrumptious ass skewering itself on his cock was just too much for any man to bear.

 

“Rey, _Rey,”_ he said, watching her slide against him.  

 

“Yes, Alpha?”

 

“Does it hurt?”

 

“No.  No, _please_ Behn . . .”  Her hand flailed behind her to grab at his hip.

 

He curved over, kissing the nape of her neck.  “What do you need?” 

 

“More, _please,_ more!” she said, pushing her ass back greedily to punctuate her statement.

 

“Anything for you, mate.  On your knees.  Lift that ass up, be a good girl.”  These weren’t Dr. Solo’s words anymore.  These weren’t even Benjamin Solo’s words.  These were the words of Rey’s Alpha, and they flowed out of him naturally.  

 

Dr. Solo may have not known what to say to women, but Rey’s Alpha sure did.  He’d give her what she needed.  As if to prove it, he gave her juicy ass a slap.  Rey gasped and bucked, but pushed back harder. 

 

Ben stood up, took a wide stance, and clutched her hips to still her needy wiggling.

 

“Now, _hold_ _on tight, woman.”_

 

With the first thrust, the cot rattled and Rey inhaled sharply.

After the second, the stool next to them fell over.

By the third, he was grunting and she moaned like a haunted soul.

 

After that, he set a pace that shook the tent walls.  Even the porgs were quiet.

 

The wet squelches and Rey’s cries made it seem like he was pushing the squeaks right out of her.  She was so wet it dripped down both of their legs, and he had to focus on depth and precision to not slip out of her entirely.  He reached a hand up to caress a breast and roll a nipple between his fingers.  Rey tossed her head back and arched even more, her eyes squeezed closed as if to hold in the pleasure. 

 

She was moaning something and he leaned in closer to listen.  All he could make out was a litany of _yesyesyesohgodsyesyesyes._

 

His glasses on a nearby table rattled and fell down, but he couldn’t be bothered to reach for them, not when he had soft handfuls of her.

 

His cock felt so right planted deep inside her that he was angry at the wasted time not doing this.

 

“Goddamn, Rey,” Ben said.  “You’re so fucking hot.”

 

“Hot.. is.. good?” she managed between thrusts.

 

“Hot is _very_ good.”

 

“Good, Alpha.  Oh, right there.  Harder!”

 

He wrapped both arms around her waist and snapped her back to meet his hips, adding more heat to the drive.

 

“Oooh!” she cried out and whipped her hair back over a shoulder.  That seemed like a good thing.  So he did more of that.

 

His knot was bumping against her slit, and Rey tilted her hips to get more contact with her clit.  Ben reached a hand around to find it for himself. Several tight circles, and she was grinding against the knot and moaning.  The knot was hot and throbbing.

 

Now or never.  “Rey, I want to knot you.  Can I knot you?”

 

“Yes, yes, Alpha,” she replied instantly, nodding.

 

“It may hurt.”

 

“I don’t care.  I need it.  Give it to me.”  

 

“Anything, mate.  Anything for you.”

 

He stimulated her and pumped his hips deeper.  Her whine grew louder, like a tea kettle starting to boil, and he slid fingers around her slit to stretch her.  Rey was tightening down around him, on the edge of her climax, and he just needed to ease her open a bit more so he could slip the knot inside.

 

He was waiting for something.  He didn’t know what yet, but he would know when she was ready.  Ben dug in deeper, fingers soothing her, when he suddenly felt it.  Another gush of slick. Quickly, without thinking, he angled and then pushed.  With a growl, the knot slipped inside and the walls of her cunt hugged his knot in a loving embrace.

 

Ben came like a hurricane planted inside her.  Rey howled and pulsed around him as he triggered her climax with his own.  He fell forward over her back, his chest sticking to her sweat-slicked skin, as she bucked and gasped under him.  He mouthed at the nape of her neck tenderly.

 

The bond exploded in color and light as they shared their pleasure with each other in a feedback loop of ecstasy.

 

Ben kissed the mating mark and then held her waist as he rolled them over onto their sides locked together.  He curled around her protectively.  Rey cradled his arm to her chest like a teddy bear, his hand palming her breast.  She looked over her shoulder at him, looking drowsy and debauched.  A beautiful mess. He kissed her temple.

 

They fit like they were made to, a key safe in a lock.  Rey fell asleep with a wide grin, still tied to him.    

 

Ben fell asleep looking at her.  It felt like he had finally come home. 

 


	18. Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben tries to get work done. Rey won't comply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi- We have a final chapter count! Nearing the end now.
> 
> NSFW or Karate!
> 
> Thanks for your patience and continued support, not to mention your treasured comments! They are my gasoline- thanks! :D

Dr. Benjamin Solo’s Journal. 

Day 18.  

 

 _There have been several very_ ~~_stimulating_ ~~ _notable developments._

 

 _The feral Omega herd is robust and thriving.  They have their own language, culture and customs unique to Ahch-To.  Their history is fraught with_ ~~_abusive_ ~~ _questionable actions by the locals in the region, but the herd itself appears to be stable in isolation._

 

 _One individual in particular, known as Rey, is a_ ~~_precious_ ~~ _remarkable discovery.  Her intellect, bravery,_ ~~_passion_ ~~ _possessive aggression, rebelliousness, and_ ~~_unparalleled beauty_ ~~ _objective physical appeal make her a once-in-a-lifetime find._

 

 _I’ve been able to develop a close_ _~~bond~~ _ _relationship with Rey.  She trusts me enough to_ ~~_touch_ ~~ _take her vitals.  She appears to have a higher-than-average body temperature of–_

 

“Leave it,” Ben growled out.

 

Rey pouted a full, rosy lip and waved the thermometer in his direction provocatively.  “But I want something _else_ in my mouth.”

 

Ben sighed even as a familiar warmth settled down south.  This was supposed to be work time, but his recalcitrant mate was decidedly not helping matters.  He could feel her want settle deep in his gut as if it was his own.  The mating bite had calibrated them to sense each other’s arousal as precisely as scientific instruments.  This was both a fascinating and inconvenient revelation as it led to a lot of time fucking like rabbits. It seemed all Rey had to do was snap her fingers, and his traitorous knot jumped to attention.

 

Ignoring the force awakened in his briefs, Ben attempted a stern look and used his Alpha voice.  “Be still, Omega.” Rey grumbled but pursed her lips, extra-suggestively he thought, and Ben reinserted the thermometer.  He tried very hard _not_ to think about what that looked like.  

 

Rey’s petulant expression did nothing to dampen her appeal.  Quite the opposite, to be honest.  Her feral and greedy carnality seemed to be the perfect undoing of his calm, cold calculation.  For every plan or strategy Ben developed, Rey seemed delighted to fuck it right out of his mind. She brought out his previously-unknown animal side. 

 

He absolutely _loved that_ , just not when he was supposed to be working.

 

His idea of “work” was clearly very different from hers.  Ben had conceded to her request that they be mostly naked while sciencing, but that proved to be a terribly self-defeating methodology decision.  She was sprawled out on his cot clad in only his t-shirt, sucking on the thermometer like a lollipop while rubbing her feet in his lap.  Concentration was becoming an issue.

 

Ben refocused his attention on his notes.  He didn’t notice her hand creep past his hip bone on a stealth mission– that is, until it latched onto his cock through his boxer briefs like a heat-seeking missile.  Ben yelped and jerked in surprise.

 

Rey burst into a fit of giggles around the thermometer, eyes scrunching into adorable half-moons as dimples pinched her round cheeks.  It was impossible to remain unaffected by her victorious glee.  He smiled despite himself, but still swatted her hand away from his crotch for what seemed like the millionth time that morning.  Although to be fair, he wasn’t counting.  Perhaps he should’ve been, because it seemed like a potential world record for horniness.

 

“Naughty girl,” he said, but there was little heat behind his words.  “It’s still work time, you have to wait.”

 

Rey grunted and rolled her eyes.  He didn’t need their mating bond to translate what she thought of work time.  Finally, the thermometer beeped and he withdrew it from her lips.

 

“Thank the goddesses above,” Rey said.

 

“99.8 again,” Ben marked it down dutifully.  “You do run hotter than an average Omega.” 

 

“Mmm, I do,” Rey agreed.  She turned to all fours and slunk into his lap, coming between him and his page like a cat demanding attention.  It was an even more effective maneuver, because his shirt rode up to reveal the tanned, firm globes of her ass.  

 

“Very hot,” she said.  “Even hotter now that my mate is going into rut soon.”

 

Rey settled into her favorite place– his lap– her thighs hugging his hips.  He closed his journal a bit less carefully than he normally would and set it aside. _Science would have to wait,_ Ben thought as he palmed her ass.  He had his hands full.

 

“I don’t know why you’re so certain, considering you’ve never been close to an Alpha in rut,” Ben said.  He tugged her forward to hit his hardening length in just the right way. She trilled a happy note and nuzzled into his neck. 

 

Yet, a sudden dark fear invaded his mind.  “Have you, Rey?  No Alpha ever grabbed you, and–” 

 

She shook her head fast.  In the several days since they’d been mated, she had become very skilled at shutting him up.  Typically by placing either a part of her body into his mouth, or vice-versa.  Her arms looped around his shoulders and she gave him a peck on the lips.  “No, just you.  Only you, Behn.”  

 

“Good,” he said, surprised at the intensity of his relief.  “Then how can you tell I’m going into rut?”

 

“I know my man,” she said, rocking her hips with a grin.  “Your scent changed.  You smell like those bars with the nuts now.”

 

Ben blinked.  “Dark chocolate?”

 

“Mmm, chocolatey,” she nodded.  Rey dove down to his neck and darted out a tongue to steal a taste.  “My favorite.”  

 

Her lips vibrated on his skin.  She nibbled over his gland and the tender sensation lit him up like a match touching a wick.  His eyes drifted closed as he palmed her ass to grind against him with more burn. The tent grew thick with their pheromones blending in the air.  It formed an endless arousal cycle.  The wetter she got, the more he scented her and the more he made her wet.  It was a wonder they hadn’t flooded the island with the sex pheromones by now or driven the herd into a frenzy.  Thank god they were down-wind and contained in the tent.  Being overridden by a stampede of feral, horny Omegas was definitely more of a nightmare than a fantasy.

 

Ben kneaded her ass like making dough for fresh bread.  He gave it a slap and Rey gasped against his neck.  She grew wetter, always wetter, a waterfall of slick just for him.  She moaned and it was a satisfying sound, so he slapped her other cheek to hear it again.

 

He never realized what a simple man he actually was until he had Rey’s round, pert ass safely in his palms.  His career, his academic ambitions, his ten-year plan all faded away.  Everything else took a distant second to this.  

 

Heaven.

 

“Omega,” he breathed out as he felt the tell-tale pulse of heat at the base of his cock.  Rey made him pop a knot like she had a remote. 

 

“Yes, Alpha?” she said sweetly.  

 

“I really want to knot you, but we’re supposed to do things today.”

 

“Well, I know what I want you to do.”

 

 _“Rey.”_ It was meant as a warning.  It sounded like a plea.

 

She was bossy.  “Knot me up and then plan the things.  You can write on your papers, and I won’t wiggle much.  Promise.”

 

Ben groaned a tortured groan.  “Baby, please–”

 

Rey pulled back with her brow furrowed.  “Why do you call me baby?  I’m a woman, not a youngling.”

 

He blinked and smiled.  There was so much they still needed to learn of each other’s cultures.  “It’s a term of endearment.  A sweet name.  It means I want to take care of you.”

 

Her look turned fierce.  “We take care of each other.  Someone comes for my mate, I fight.”

 

“Oh, I know,” he said.  Ben kissed the freckles on her cheek one by one.  “I’ve seen you.  My brave warrior.”

 

“Not a baby,” she said definitively.  

 

“What can I call you then?”  He asked, switching his kisses to the other cheek.  No freckle left behind.

 

“What’s a strong woman in your language?”  She said, stroking his hair.

 

“A queen?”

 

She frowned.  “No, that’s like Holdo.  I don’t want to be queen.”  Her wide, hazel eyes fixed on his.  It was hard to think under that direct light.  

 

Rey needed a pet name that was as essential and vibrant as she was to him.  Ben kissed her soft lips and soaked up her tender warmth.  It came to him suddenly, so he whispered it between kisses.

 

“My sun.”

 

Rey smiled against his lips.  “Hm.  I like that,” she said.  Her tongue slipped into his mouth.  

 

With a flip, he tossed her onto the cot and knelt behind her.  He tossed off the shirt and his shorts, then cupped handfuls of her creamy breasts.  Her thighs were already glistening with slick.  He took a swipe of it with his tongue and she cooed.

 

He rose to slot himself behind her, nipping at the nape of her neck.  “Ready, Mate?” he rasped into her ear.

 

She nodded her head desperately and arched her back as he dove inside her sweet heat in one push.  He didn’t stop until the knot made him. It was still a strange and heavy sensation at the base of his cock, but he was getting used to it.  The flush of heat and surging weight of it made him need to move, and move hard.

 

Rey moaned.  He began to pound into her in a steady rhythm, cupping her breasts to feel them jiggle in his palms.  All fours was his favorite. Her hot ass hit his hips on every thrust, tickling the knot, and he could watch himself disappear inside to stretch and fill her cunt.  It was base, animalistic, and _glorious._

 

Rey rocked against him and dipped her hips so the knot would bump her clit.  She whined in time with each push, and it made him growl right back. Through the bond, he could feel the stimulation working her up and up to her peak, and he climbed quickly up after her.  She needed more, he could tell it, so he pinched a nipple between his fingers. Her shudder of pleasure was it’s own reward.

 

Fuck, she was perfect.  This was perfect. They both felt it, and they both felt each other feeling it.  His.   _She was his,_ and he was hers.  No one could change that now.

 

“Yes!  Yes!” She cried out.  He liked it when she yelled that.  He wanted her to yell it a lot more.  

 

Ben pumped into her until Rey cried out and spasmed in pleasure.  A gush of slick welcomed him in deeper and he slipped in the knot with a twist of his hips.  He came mouthing at the nape of her neck as she clenched around the swell of it embedded in her cunt, right where it belonged.

 

They leaned over to collapse onto the cot and he curled around her.  He drew up the sleeping bag with tired, clumsy arms to cover their sweat-slicked bodies from a chill.  Rey wiggled back against his chest and put a palm to his cheek when he hooked it over her shoulder.

 

He reached back for a book, but let his arm drop heavy to wrap her in tighter to him instead.  Who was he kidding?  He wasn’t doing any more work done today.

 

+++

 

The next morning, Ben had a plan.  A hike and a picnic.  Rey liked food just as much as she liked fucking, and the open air would do them some good and maybe delay the inevitable fuckfest until the afternoon.

 

If this was the “mating honeymoon” period, he had no idea what to expect of rut and heat.  She said it was coming soon.  He wasn’t sure how they would survive.  She was still technically in quarantine until Poe returned with the test results in less than a week, and until then Ben needed to keep her away from the herd.  He couldn't pretend that he wasn't enjoying keeping her all to himself in the meantime. 

 

They set out on the path to the far side of the cliffs where they could look down at the small island.  Rey skipped to the side of the trail to pick wildflowers, chattering away about the wildlife and how bright the sun was, and whatever thought popped into her beautiful head.  Ben smiled down at his feet as he listened.  

 

Now that he could understand her words, he realized Rey never stopped talking.  Every thought that blew into her mind flew right out again on her tongue. What she liked, what she didn’t like, the birds she saw, how the weather made her feel, which of his food was her favorite– anything was worthy of being shared.  It was endearing. He supposed she’d make a terrible liar, since keeping a thought locked inside her seemed impossible. Considering how much effort it took for Ben to create and produce coherent words himself, he appreciated that Rey spread hers around like a dandelion puff on the wind.  

 

Where there was Rey, there was no silence.  There was no loneliness.

 

They arrived at their destination and he slid the heavy backpack to the ground.  He set up a blanket for the food and pulled out his binoculars and journal. While Rey started eating, Ben situated himself slightly behind a rock and flat on his stomach.  

 

Time for observation.

 

Down below was the tribe’s hunting grounds.  Several Omegas were crawling up rocks to harvest eggs from the nests of seabirds.  A few others were fishing by throwing hand-crafted nets at the water’s edge. Ben wrote down his observations in his journal.

 

“Oof,” he said, as something substantial landed on his back.  It was Rey’s head. She bit into a fresh apple with a sharp crack and lounged on him like a sofa.

 

“Whatcha doin’?”  She asked.

 

“My afternoon observation cycle.”  Ben said through the binoculars.

 

“Why?”

 

“Science.”

 

She took another loud bite.  “Why does science care what the herd is doing?”

 

He lowered the binoculars and chose his words carefully.  “Well, you know there are a lot of other people in the world, right?”   

 

“Yup, I guess,” she said.  She chewed very loudly. He was surprised any of the apple was staying within her rosy lips at the rate she seemed to be spewing it.

 

“Well, there are billions of people in the world.”

 

“Billions?”  She said at the unfamiliar word, turning on her side.

 

“Billions, like the fish in the sea.  Very many people.”

 

“Oh,” she said, slightly more interested.

 

“They live in other countries and have technology, like the helicopter.  I come from a country called the United States.”

 

“Why do all those people care about one small island?”

 

Rey was so smart, always cutting straight to the heart of the matter.  “Because your island is very special. You’re all Omegas and there are no men.  You live on what you make or catch. People want to learn about you.”

 

“Hmm.”  She didn’t seem very impressed.  She sat up and threw a leg over his waist to straddle his back.  “But what for?”  

 

She threaded fingers through his hair and started twisting little sections together.  It felt good.

 

“Well, there’s academic studies, and education and–”

 

She cut him off, still thinking out loud.  “Unless they want to do something with the island.  It’s a lot of bother to fly you here with food and stuff, so they must want something good out of it.”

 

Ben’s blood froze in his veins.  He lowered the binoculars slowly.  Something in his subconscious floated to the surface, something he wouldn’t allow himself to dwell on for very long before.  Here he was, trying to solve the mysteries of the herd, but Rey put her finger on the most important mystery of all: What was going to happen to them after the project was over? 

 

A mysterious corporate benefactor funded the study.  The goal was to document the tribe, but was there a hidden agenda?  What would they do with the data?  What would become of the Omegas afterwards?  Ben didn’t consider such questions before, had taken things at face value.  Now he had skin in the game– Rey’s skin.  The realization struck him in the heart just as surely as one of her carefully-aimed rocks.  Images of the pregnant Omega and what Poe said about the neighboring islands rose up along with new emotions.  Fear.  Anger.  Protection.

 

Rey sensed his mood shift, although she couldn’t read his thoughts, and started soothing him.  She braided and twisted the wildflowers into his hair and kissed the top of his head.  

 

“And now that you’re staying here, that’s even more bars and food,” she said cheerily. 

 

His stomach twisted into knots twice as tight as the flowers in his hair.  His project would conclude next year, and he couldn’t stay.  Rey would have to come back with him to New York.  They had plenty of time to figure that out, but the thought of that discussion filled him with even greater dread.

 

“Anyway, why are you watching the herd right now?” she asked.

 

Ben blinked and came back to the moment.  Rey had made him a crown of flowers and was lying on his back.  Everything would be okay.

 

“To learn how the tribe hunts, things like that.”

 

“Why don’t you just ask me then, silly?  I’m right here.”

 

He dropped his binoculars as his jaw dropped open.   _Of course, idiot._ Ben rolled over to face her, and she straddled his hips.  

 

Ben had a field guide to the wild Ahch-To Omega literally right in his lap.  Observations were hardly necessary when he had his own personal feral Omega expert.

 

“Thank goodness you have me to do all the thinking now, mate,” Rey teased and gave his surprised mouth a kiss.

 

Indeed.

  
  



	19. Pool

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience! We're nearing the end of the journey, and I hope you've enjoyed the ride.
> 
> I'm going to try my best to get this story complete this year. We have some plot thread to wind up here, so some major answers in the next few chapters, plus our HEA. 
> 
> I appreciate all your support and wonderful comments, they've been a source of motivation and delight. Thank you!

Panting.  Dark.  Cold.  The fear was a tangible thing, choking him and making it impossible to breathe. 

 

Ben spun in a circle, but he couldn’t see in the thick fog.  He couldn’t find Rey. The last traces of her scent dissipated like steam in the air and he was losing the thread.  Panic welled in his chest.

 

“Behn!” her voice cried out at a distance.  Rey was scared and he could feel it, but he was powerless to protect her.  It was his worst nightmare. Ben growled, frantic, as he searched through the cold dark, alone and furious.

 

“Behn!” louder, closer.  Two small hands pressed down on his chest.

 

His wild eyes snapped open.  

 

Rey was leaning over him on the cot, her arched brows pinched in concern.  “Mate, wake up,” she said softly.

 

It  _ was  _ a nightmare.  He rubbed his temple and groaned, an arm looping around her shoulders to hug her down onto his chest.  The morning light shone through the canvas of the tent making everything look sepia-toned and antique. His heartbeat galloped and hers rose in tempo to match his.  He nestled her into his body, holding her tight in his relief. He took a deep breath and it calmed them both.

 

“God, that was terrible.”

 

Rey kissed the mating mark and then the tense muscles of his neck.  “It’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe,” she cooed. It should be ridiculous– his small, pretty Omega comforting him, her big, Alpha protector.  Yet Ben felt instantly better.  

 

Rey roped her arms around his ribs and squeezed him back.  His bare chest was slick from night sweats. He shivered on the cot.  She angled under his jaw and sniffed.

 

“It’s starting.  Your rut.”

 

“Ugh.”  He couldn’t manage much more coherence than that.  “Why the bad dream?”

 

“I dunno.  The cycle brings out deep urges.  Maybe for you that’s fear.”

 

Ben didn’t want to dwell on that idea, instead hugging her in closer.  The experience of rut was an unknown to him. He was a behavioral specialist who focused on culture in small population groups, with a subcategory of Omega behavior.  He’d had no interest in Alphas, academic or otherwise, and knew nothing of the psychology of rut.  

 

This was uncharted territory in every sense of the word.

 

“How many heats have you gone through?” he asked, curious.

 

“Four,” she replied.  

 

“That’s not very many for your age.”  Fear resettled quickly. “Wait, how old are you?”

 

“Old?” 

 

“How many years have you–”  Shit. How did they mark time here?  “We count age by years. Three hundred and sixty five days, the change of four seasons.  I’m 31 years old. We celebrate our birthdays each year.”

 

“Oh, we celebrate the summer solstice.  A big party on the longest day of the year.  I’ve had about twenty, I think?”

 

He relaxed a little.  Still so young, though.  “That’s not very many heats for your age.”

 

Rey circled his bare nipple with a fingertip.  “We have herbs to make teas to ward it off. Plus, there’s no Alphas here to trigger us with their ruts.”

 

Right.  Oh, wait.  “I guess I’ll trigger your heat then.  Sorry,” he said sheepishly. It seemed a bit rude.

 

Rey lifted her chin to stare into his eyes, direct as always.  “Don’t say sorry. I take care of my mate. A rut needs a heat.  If your scent didn’t trigger me, all the fucking would.”

 

Ben somehow found it within him to blush, even after everything they’d done together.  Rey just giggled at him like he was a shy school girl.

 

Something was nagging at his mind.  The very question itself was an agitation, but he must know.  “Rey, when did you come to Ahch-To?”

 

Her smile dipped and she lay her cheek back on his chest.  He felt like she was trying to avoid looking at him. “I don’t remember.  It was a long time ago.”

 

His stomach sunk and twisted.  “So you were small.” She nodded on his chest.  Ben had to close his eyes and grit his teeth to tamp down the boiling rage.  His hands flexed with the need to choke something.

 

“Holdo said my village knew very early about me.  That I’d be too strong, cause too many fights. Most Omegas come when they’re about to begin their first cycle, but I was just a girl.”

 

“Are you angry about that?” he asked in a hoarse voice, forcing himself to unclench a fist to stroke down her back.  He had to stay calm to soothe her, even though Rey didn’t seem as upset as he was.

 

Rey shrugged.  “It just is. You can’t be angry about what is.”

 

“I can,” he growled.  “I’m fucking furious your parents sent you off.”

 

“Explain parents?”  Rey said, lifting her head.  “I don’t know that word.”

 

A searing pain lanced through him, but it wasn’t coming from her.  It was from within his own heart on her behalf. This was a void that Ben couldn’t fill or fix for her, and that hurt him worse than anything.

 

He hugged her so tight to his chest she squeaked.  He kissed her hair. “It’s the people who raise a child and love them.”

 

She was quiet as it sunk in.  “Then the tribe is my parents.”  

 

He didn’t say anything else.  Rey let him hold her until the burning of his skin grew too intense and he growled in frustration.

 

Rey sat up and pulled at his arm.  “Come.”

 

“Where?”  His skin was too hot, too stiff, like a hard shell he wanted to crawl out of.

 

“To the pool.  You need to cool down.”

 

A low vibration in the back of his throat kicked on like an engine idling.  “I can’t leave the tent. I need to prepare. We need food, water–”

 

“Shh.”  Her hands traced down his shoulders and chest.  “Shh, Alpha. We have it all. Everything is ready.”

 

Ben scanned around the tent in the half-light and saw that she was right.  Rey had pulled the food from the crate and stacked it in tidy piles by category.  She’d picked up his discarded clothes and had wrapped them and his towels into a cozy nest in the corner.  Things were all aligned and organized just so.

 

That was very unlike his sweet agent of chaos.  It struck like a lightning bolt. Rey had done it for him.  His Omega knew what he liked and had provided.

 

He turned to face her and his growl shifted into deep purrs.  “So good for me,” he whispered in amazement as much as praise.

 

It was like her spine turned to jelly.  Rey melted into him, kissing his cheeks and throat, the round curve of his shoulder with happy smiles and coos.  “Come, mate. Let’s cool off.”

 

+++

 

Fully seated in the spring, Ben let his arms span out on the cold stone rim as his head fell back.  He looked up at the wide, bright sky.

 

“Close your eyes, Behn,” Rey whispered, then rewarded each eyelid with a kiss when he complied.

 

The water soaked through his hair and ran down his shoulders in a cool cascade.  She crunched up leaves to make a rich lather and worked it into his locks, lightly scratching his scalp.  His hair had grown long and Rey twirled and twisted it, making patterns to her liking and weaving in flowers and leaves.  He let her preen and fuss over him and laid back with a lazy smile.

 

His purr was an automatic response to her every touch now.  He didn’t know if it had an off button. One of his hands wandered to her hip under the water, stroking and slipping up higher to cradle the underside of a breast.  His thumb brushed across her nipple and Rey took a sharp little breath.

 

His.   _ All his.   _ He’d do anything to make her happy, anything to keep her safe.  The depth of the fierce devotion would be frightening if it wasn’t so all-encompassing.  It wiped away his prior baseline. It was getting more and more difficult to remember the time before her.  

 

There was only now and only Rey.

 

She kissed him again, this time on the mouth, and poured more water through his hair.  His chatterbox mate was quiet except for sweet whispers and praises. She stroked his skin, kneading and massaging, and he pulled her closer to his thigh.

 

The heat was radiating off of him now.  If it weren’t for the water, it would be unbearable.  The gears of his mind were getting stuck in simple patterns.  Higher reasoning was inaccessible, and his thoughts all revolved around needs.  The need to taste. The need to touch. The need to claim. 

 

“Rey,” he said, voice much thicker than normal.  Dense and rich. An Alpha’s voice.

 

She shivered and floated closer.  “Yes, Alpha.”

 

“I need you,” he said.  It wasn’t an order, because it didn’t need to be.  She was attending him and his needs, helping him through it.  He felt her care for him in every touch.

 

A sticky heat bloomed inside her and could almost taste it swirl up in the air around them.  It flowed like water, except rather than quenching his thirst it stoked it. His cock thickened and rose in the water.

 

“What do you need, Alpha?”  She whispered, velvet words in his ear.

 

“To taste you, sweet one.  Please.”

 

She smiled when he cupped her round cheeks to draw her mouth to his.  He kissed her slowly, languidly. He soaked her in with eyes closed, deepening the kiss by drawing her flush to his chest.  Even that wasn’t enough. He needed to drink her down directly from the source.

 

He wrapped his arms around her waist and bobbed them to a deeper part of the pool.  Rey clung to his shoulders, her firm, wet skin slipping like silk against his. He hefted her up to the edge to seat her on a towel, then spread her legs apart to make room for himself between them.

 

Rey smiled and bit her lower lip.  She tugged his earlobe affectionately and he wrapped his palms under her thighs to cup her ass and bring her closer.  His eyes met hers in a silent plea, and he kept his gaze glued on her face as he stroked through her slit with his tongue.

 

Ben had the distinct pleasure of noting every reaction in close detail.  The way her eyelids fluttered like a butterfly’s wings. Her rosy lips parting when her mouth went slack.  The soft whimper she made when his fingertip circled her entrance and dipped inside. Her breathy sounds made his cock bounce in the water.  He circled and flicked at her clit with his tongue, and her hips rocked in time with him as the sweet nectar of her slick coated his lips.

 

“God, you’re so beautiful,” he breathed out.  She whined and bent over him, petting his hair.  “I want you to come in my mouth.” Her head lolled forward and back like a ragdoll in agreement, and she bucked against his mouth.

 

She was close, incredibly close, and he could taste it.  She bucked her hips against his mouth and his own fire burned hotter to match hers.  He slid in two fingers in her heat and she moaned, a deliciously broken sound, and clenched down on him.  

 

“Please, oh please,” Rey said, the most obedient he’d ever heard her.  His fierce warrior, who’d scratch and bite for him, had drawn actual blood for him, curled up like a soft little kitten in his mouth.  It made him want to laugh with joy.  

 

He stroked his fingers forward and sucked on her clit and that did it.  Rey cried out and throbbed around him, her walls squeezing and clenching in a sweet rhythm as she came with a gush.  When her shuddering stopped, he kissed her thighs and pulled back, licking his lips. “Good girl, my mate.”

 

She smiled at him, love drunk, and he lifted her down into the water to hold her close.  She nuzzled into his chest and he sighed happily.

 

“Mate?” he asked.

 

“Yes, mate.”

 

“Can you walk yet?”

 

“Yes, of course.”

 

“But can you run?”

 

Her confusion was very becoming.  “Yes. Why?”

 

Ben stared at her intently and thrust his hips forward so she could feel for herself why.  “Because I would like very much to catch you on my knot.”

 

The twinkle in her eye turned downright mischievous as her grin grew.  

 

“I’ll give you a head start.  Go.”

 

Rey scrambled out of the pool and Ben smacked her ass as she giggled.  She grabbed her shirt and towel but didn’t bother putting them on as she ran away down the trail, long hair whipping behind her, juicy ass bouncing merrily.

 

Once she disappeared around the corner, he slammed his palms on the rock to burst from the water like an Alpha geyser, grabbing his clothes and shoes in a messy lump before awkwardly giving chase with his raging hard-on.

 

As he rounded the corner at top speed, he skidded to a very wet, very naked halt in the middle of the trail.

 

Oh, no.

 

Rey was standing surrounded by a semi-circle of very stern-looking Omegas.  Her eyes were wide and serious.

 

The tall blonde leader, Holdo, stepped forward  with narrowed eyes and poked him in his bare, heaving chest.  She chattered away in what sounded like a lecture.

 

“He didn’t, Holdo, I told you!  I chose him!” Rey cried out. Ben could only understand Rey’s intent behind her words through the bond, not the words themselves, so he couldn’t tell what Holdo was saying.  He shook his head as the sweat broke out on his brow. This was tragic timing, as his rut was about to swallow him whole, and good luck to anyone who tried to keep a rutting Alpha apart from his mate.

 

The blonde stared him up and down and Ben held the pile of clothes in front of his hard and throbbing admission of guilt.

 

Holdo said something else, and Rey got angry.  “I will not. You can’t!  We’re mated now and there’s nothing you can do about it, Holdo!”

 

The leader whipped back to Ben and smiled like a cat who caught a canary.  Then she flicked her wrist and he heard someone move behind him, then Rey’s irate scream and a scuffle before the loud thud on the back of his head stole all thoughts away and everything faded to black.


End file.
